What is the process of designing and maintaining code known as?

The process of designing and maintaining code is known as programming. Programming encompasses the activities involved in writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of software applications. This includes understanding the problem to be solved, designing algorithms, translating these into a programming language, and ensuring the code runs efficiently and effectively.

Programming is fundamental to software development and is essential across various fields, including web development, game design, and application development. In contrast, the other options refer to different areas: networking involves connecting computers and managing data transmission, database management focuses on storing and retrieving data, and system administration pertains to managing and maintaining computer systems and networks. Each of these fields has its own distinct role and responsibilities that do not directly involve writing and maintaining code.