What are control structures in programming?

Control structures in programming are constructs that dictate the flow of execution in a program. This means they help determine the order in which statements are executed, making it possible to create dynamic and flexible applications. Key examples of control structures include loops (such as for and while loops), which allow for repeated execution of a block of code, and conditionals (such as if-else statements), which enable decision-making within a program based on certain conditions.

These structures are essential because they allow programmers to implement logic, manage program execution based on variable values, and efficiently handle repetitive tasks. By utilizing control structures, developers can write code that responds differently based on input or state, leading to more sophisticated and responsive software.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects unrelated to the flow of execution. Memory usage pertains to how resources are allocated in a program, performance measurement concerns analyzing how effectively a program runs, and data types relate to the kind of values that can be stored in variables. Each of these concepts plays an important role in programming, but they do not define what control structures are.