A range check is a type of data validation that ensures a given value falls within a specified range. This is essential for maintaining data accuracy and preventing erroneous or unrealistic values from being processed. Range checks are commonly used in various applications such as user input forms, database entries, and sensor data validation.

For example, consider a form that collects a user’s age. The valid range for age might be between 0 and 120. A range check ensures that any entered value falls within this range, rejecting values like -5 or 150, which are not plausible for a human age.

Here’s an example in Python:

def validate_age(age):
# Define the valid age range
min_age = 0
max_age = 120
if min_age <= age <= max_age:
return True
else:
return False

# Example usage
age = 25
if validate_age(age):
print(“Age is within the valid range.”)
else:
print(“Age is out of the valid range.”)

In this example, the validate_age function checks if the provided age is within the defined range of 0 to 120. If the age falls within this range, it returns True, indicating a valid input. Otherwise, it returns False, indicating an invalid input. This ensures that any age data processed by the system is realistic and accurate, thereby improving data integrity and reliability.