What is the process of modifying software to improve its clarity, efficiency, or maintainability called?

The process of modifying software to improve its clarity, efficiency, or maintainability is called refactoring. Refactoring involves making incremental changes to the code without altering its external behavior, focusing on improving the structure and readability. This process can help developers identify and eliminate code smells, enhance the software's performance, and facilitate easier maintenance and future development.

By restructuring the code in a more logical and understandable way, refactoring can lead to fewer bugs and a more streamlined development process. It aims at creating cleaner code that can adapt to changes or improvements over time, significantly benefiting the software life cycle. Thus, it plays a crucial role in maintaining software quality and sustainability.