sanity check

sanity check
 n.

   [very common]

   1. The act of checking a piece of code (or anything else, e.g., a
   Usenet posting) for completely stupid mistakes. Implies that the check
   is to make sure the author was sane when it was written; e.g., if a
   piece of scientific software relied on a particular formula and was
   giving unexpected results, one might first look at the nesting of
   parentheses or the coding of the formula, as a sanity check, before
   looking at the more complex I/O or data structure manipulation
   routines, much less the algorithm itself. Compare {reality check}.

   2. A run-time test, either validating input or ensuring that the
   program hasn't screwed up internally (producing an inconsistent value
   or state).

   3. Conversationally, saying "sanity check" means you are requesting a
   check of your assumptions. "Wait a minute, sanity check, are we
   talking about the same Kevin here?"
    

sanity check

   <programming> 1. Checking {code} (or anything else, e.g. a
   {Usenet} posting) for completely stupid mistakes.  Implies
   that the check is to make sure the author was sane when it was
   written; e.g. if a piece of scientific software relied on a
   particular formula and was giving unexpected results, one
   might first look at the nesting of parentheses or the coding
   of the formula, as a "sanity check", before looking at the
   more complex I/O or data structure manipulation routines, much
   less the {algorithm} itself.

   Compare {reality check}.

   2. A run-time test, either validating input or ensuring that
   the program hasn't screwed up internally (producing an
   inconsistent value or state).

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1998-08-29)