What term describes the concept of hiding detail by presenting a more general instance in programming?

The correct answer is Abstraction, which refers to the process of reducing complexity by hiding the unnecessary details and showing only the relevant features of an object or system. In programming, abstraction allows developers to work with a general concept or instance without needing to concern themselves with the complex underlying details. This simplifies both the design and maintenance of software, making it easier to understand and manage.

For example, when creating a class for a vehicle in object-oriented programming, the specifics of how an engine operates might be hidden, presenting instead a general interface for starting the vehicle or accelerating. This way, other developers can utilize these functions without needing to grasp all the intricacies involved in the engine's mechanics.

In contrast, encapsulation focuses on bundling the data with the methods that operate on that data, often through access modifiers. Modularity refers to the design principle of separating a program into distinct components or modules. Inheritance pertains to the ability of a class to inherit properties and behaviors from another class, thereby facilitating code reuse. Each of these concepts is essential in software design but addresses different aspects apart from the process of simplifying complexity through abstraction.