Which of the following best describes defect management?

Defect management is fundamentally about systematically handling defects that arise during software development and testing. This process includes identifying, documenting, prioritizing, and resolving defects to ensure that the final product meets quality standards.

The essence of defect management lies in its structured approach to tracking issues from the time they are reported until they are resolved, often utilizing defect tracking tools and methodologies to facilitate communication among team members and stakeholders. This makes option A the most accurate representation of what defect management encompasses.

The other options do not capture the specific focus that defect management entails. A testing framework is primarily concerned with establishing a structure for executing tests, while a software development methodology refers to the overall approach to software development, such as Agile or Waterfall. A coding standard defines the conventions and style guides for writing code, rather than dealing directly with defects. Thus, the process-oriented focus of the first option distinctly aligns with the nature of defect management.