Precondition

In programming, a precondition is a set of conditions that must hold for a particular section of code (usually a function) to execute correctly.

See also

• Postcondition
• Invariant
• Design by contract: A design approach that makes the semantics of preconditions, postconditions, and invariants concrete through the concept of a “contract.”
• Guard clauses: Explicitly checking preconditions at the start of a function.