What characterizes robust code?

Robust code is characterized by its ability to handle adverse situations gracefully, which means it can manage unexpected inputs, failures, or other unforeseen issues without crashing or producing incorrect results. This resilience is crucial in software development because it ensures that applications remain functional and reliable, even under less-than-ideal circumstances. This can include various factors like invalid user inputs, network outages, or resource constraints.

Robust code often employs error handling techniques, validation checks, and fallback mechanisms that help to maintain stability and provide a smooth user experience. By focusing on robustness, developers can build applications that are more reliable and maintainable over time, leading to higher user satisfaction and trust in the software.

In contrast to this, the other characteristics mentioned do not define robustness. Simplicity and ease of understanding, while important for maintainability, do not necessarily imply that code is robust; code can be simple but still fail under certain conditions. A large resource requirement is typically a drawback and does not correlate with code robustness. Lastly, untested code does not guarantee robustness; testing is a crucial part of ensuring code can handle different scenarios effectively.