Post Run Validation

Post-run Validation

Close the loop after analysis or scripting. "No error thrown" is not validation.

Inputs

• Input dataset summary (name/path, feature count, extent, SR, key fields)
• Output dataset summary (same fields)
• Intended operation (buffer, clip, intersect, dissolve, join, routing, etc.)
• Optional: expected magnitude of change (e.g., "~same row count", "should shrink extent")

Checks (pick the ones that fit)

1) Basic counts

• Rows/features before vs after
• If output is 0 or massively smaller/larger than expected, flag

2) Extent + spatial reference

• Output extent overlaps input extent (unless expected otherwise)
• SR matches expectation; units make sense

3) Null and uniqueness spikes

• For key fields: null rate before vs after
• For IDs: uniqueness before vs after (did a dissolve/join duplicate or collapse unexpectedly?)

4) Geometry sanity

• Geometry type matches expectation
• Invalid geometry signals increased (self-intersections, empty shapes)
• Obvious topology smells (slivers after overlay, tiny polygons)

5) Field/schema drift

• Required fields present
• Unexpected field renames or type changes
• Domain/coded value preservation (if relevant)

Output

• Verdict: Pass / Warn / Fail
• Anomalies: bullet list with evidence (counts, % deltas)
• Confidence score: 0–100 with 1–2 sentence justification
• Next actions: what to inspect next (map view spot-check, sample records, rerun with env settings)

Tooling hints

If ArcGIS Pro context is available, use arcgispro_cli exports to ground the checks:

• arcgispro layers --json
• arcgispro tables --json
• arcgispro status --json

If you can compute simple stats, prefer deterministic checks over vibes.

Example

User: "I ran intersect parcels x flood zones. Is it sane?"
Output: Warn (extent OK, SR OK, but output count is 5% of expected; null spike in APN; geometry sliver risk). Confidence 62/100.