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Postcondition

A postcondition is a property or condition that must hold after an operation completes successfully.

How 2 Manning books explain it

Software Design for Python Programmers

A postcondition is a state or Boolean condition that must be true when a function or operation returns.

How it is used
Uses postconditions to specify and verify what functions and use cases guarantee after successful completion.
How deep it goes
Defines Boolean return conditions, applies them to circular-buffer methods, and notes exceptions as an alternative failure contract.
Examples
Uses a catalogue-search use case and circular-buffer add() and remove() operations as concrete postcondition examples.
What you can do after
Diagnose/debug with it by checking promised states at function return and choosing failure behavior when those states cannot be established.

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Object-Oriented Software Design in C++

A state that is expected to hold when a use case or function finishes or returns.

How it is used
Defines successful completion for functions and use cases, letting callers rely on the promised resulting state.
How deep it goes
Explains Boolean conditions, checked CircularBuffer invariants, exceptions, and subclass compatibility; it stops short of general verification techniques.
Examples
Uses CircularBuffer operations, Shipment subclasses, shipping-day ranges, and a catalogue-search use case.
What you can do after
Evaluate whether functions and use cases leave their promised state, and diagnose incompatible subclass contracts.

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Related concepts

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