Arizona State University (ASU) CSE240 Introduction to Programming Languages Midterm Practice Exam

The function of comments in code is to clarify the purpose and logic of the code. Comments serve as annotations that help developers understand what specific sections of the code do, the reasoning behind certain design choices, and any other contextual information that might be necessary for future reference or for other developers who may work on the code later.

By including comments, programmers can provide insights into complex algorithms, indicate the intended use of functions or variables, and make the source code more readable and maintainable. This is particularly important in larger codebases where the design and functionality can be complicated and not immediately clear from the code itself.

Comments do not affect the execution of the code; they are ignored by the compiler or interpreter. Thus, their primary role is educational and organizational, rather than functional or technical. This makes them an essential aspect of good programming practices, enhancing collaboration and comprehension in software development.