What is code maintainability and how is it supported by standards?

• A. The ease with which code can be modified to fix defects or add features; supported by clear structure, comments, tests, and documentation
• B. The speed of code execution
• C. The amount of code comments only
• D. The ability to obfuscate code

Answer: (A)

Code maintainability is about how easily code can be changed and extended over time without introducing new bugs. It’s not about how fast the code runs, or about having lots of comments by themselves, or about hiding the code from others. Good maintainability comes from standards that create a predictable, readable foundation: a clear structure and modular design so you can find and modify the right parts; consistent naming and formatting so the code reads the same way everywhere; meaningful comments and thorough documentation that explain intent and usage; and a solid suite of tests that ensure changes don’t break existing behavior. When a team follows these standards, future developers can understand why the code is written a certain way, make fixes or add features safely, and verify the changes quickly through tests.