Which design principle promotes separation of concerns in software design?

The correct choice emphasizes the importance of the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP). This principle asserts that a class or module should have one and only one reason to change, meaning it should have only one responsibility or job to accomplish. By focusing each class on a single responsibility, SRP inherently encourages a separation of concerns within software design. This clear delineation fosters maintainability, as changes to one aspect of the system are less likely to impact other areas.

The Single Responsibility Principle leads to more modular design, making it easier to understand, test, and modify individual components without affecting the broader system. This principle is often considered foundational in achieving a clean and organized codebase, which is critical for effective software development.

Other design principles, while valuable, serve different purposes. For example, Don't Repeat Yourself (DRY) emphasizes minimizing code duplication, and the Open/Closed Principle (OCP) focuses on the necessity for software entities to be open for extension but closed for modification. The Interface Segregation Principle (ISP) suggests that clients should not be forced to depend on methods they do not use, which also contributes to modularity but does not directly prioritize the separation of concerns in the same way that SRP does.