[swift-users] Parameter Validation

[Brent Royal-Gordon]

> When writing library code, what method of parameter validation would be suggested?

It depends.

If the data may come from somewhere out of your control, like a user or the network, throws (or an optional or Bool return value) is an appropriate choice.

If the data will come from a source which should “never” be wrong, like data that has already been parsed or a calculation you perform, then precondition() (rather than assert(), which is removed in production builds) is a good way to run a sanity check.

Basically, if you anticipate that the value could ever be invalid, use throws or an optional/boolean return. If you don’t think the value should ever be invalid, use precondition().

-- 
Brent Royal-Gordon
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