What is the role of comments in programming?

The role of comments in programming primarily centers around providing clarity and context for developers. Comments are non-executable lines of text within the code that describe, explain, or provide insight into how the code functions. They enhance the understanding of the code for anyone reading it, including the original author when they revisit it after some time.

When developers write code collaboratively or share it with others, comments serve as a vital communication tool, allowing teammates to grasp the purpose of specific functions, algorithms, or logic. Good commenting practices can significantly reduce the onboarding time for new team members and facilitate easier maintenance and debugging of the code in the future.

While optimizing performance, increasing execution speed, or formatting code is important, these aspects are not the primary function of comments. They do not directly influence how the code runs or its performance metrics; rather, they focus on the human-readable aspect of the source code. Thus, the emphasis on clarity and context makes the answer about the role of comments in programming particularly essential.