What does the term 'exception handling' refer to in programming?

The term 'exception handling' refers specifically to dealing with errors that occur during the execution of a program. When a program runs, various unexpected situations can arise, such as dividing by zero, accessing an out-of-bounds array index, or trying to open a file that does not exist. Exception handling involves using specific constructs in programming languages—such as try, catch, and finally blocks—in order to manage these situations gracefully.

By implementing exception handling, a programmer ensures that the program can respond to errors in a controlled manner, allowing it to either recover from the error, provide meaningful error messages, or log the error for later analysis, rather than crashing unexpectedly. This leads to more robust and user-friendly software, as the program can inform users of issues without terminating abruptly.

The other options address different aspects of programming but do not specifically pertain to the concept of managing errors that arise during execution. Creating user interfaces focuses on the visual and interactive aspects of software, managing and cleaning up code relates to code maintainability and readability, and implementing security measures deals with protecting the software against malicious attacks or vulnerabilities. Each of these is important in programming, but none directly align with the primary function of exception handling.