What are portions of code that provide descriptive text about the code called?

The correct answer is comments, which are portions of code used to provide descriptive text about specific sections of the code or the code as a whole. Comments serve as an essential tool for developers, allowing them to leave notes, explanations, and context within the code. This can be particularly helpful when revisiting the code later or when other developers are reading it.

Comments do not affect the execution of the code; they are ignored by the compiler/interpreter. The primary purpose of comments is to enhance the readability and maintainability of the code, making it easier for others (or the original author at a later date) to understand the logic and purpose behind certain code snippets.

While tags, parameters, and annotations play roles in coding and documentation, they do not specifically refer to the descriptive text that clarifies the function or purpose of the code itself. Tags are often associated with HTML elements, parameters refer to inputs for functions, and annotations may be used in specific programming contexts to provide metadata or instructions for processing.