Semantic Validation

Unlike syntactic validation, semantic validation can occur after a value has been assigned. Semantic validation deals with more complex validation and usually encompasses the evaluation of business rules.

The following examples require semantic validation:

Required fields.

String length restrictions; for example, the length of a string input must not exceed 140 characters.

Numeric range restrictions; for example, value must be greater than 0 but less than 100.

Date range restrictions; for example, a date must occur in the future.

Mutually dependent fields; for example, value A is required if value B has been provided.

Distinguishing between absent and invalid fields. The application must be able to distinguish between when a user has chosen not to enter a field and when a field has been provided by the user, but it is an empty string, for example.