What does branching in programming allow you to do?

Branching in programming is a fundamental concept that enables developers to control the flow of execution within a program. This means that based on certain conditions, a program can take different paths during its execution. For example, using conditional statements such as "if", "else if", and "else" allows a program to execute specific blocks of code under certain circumstances, providing the capability to make decisions.

This control over execution flow is crucial for creating dynamic and responsive programs that can react to user inputs, data changes, or other events. It enhances the program's functionality by allowing for loops, condition checks, and more complex logic that can lead to different outcomes based on varying inputs.

Other choices focus on aspects not directly related to branching: running programs in a linear fashion would imply no decision-making ability; automatically saving files pertains to file handling, and enhancing visual design is related to user interface development rather than logical flow control. Branching specifically addresses the need for variable execution paths, making it a cornerstone of programming logic.