In DOS-era terminology, what does the acronym TSR stand for with respect to small utilities that remain active after execution?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Terminate Stay Resident

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
TSR programs were a hallmark of DOS environments. They allowed small utilities (such as pop-up calculators, key enhancers, or clipboard tools) to remain in memory after execution and be invoked later via hotkeys, despite DOS being a single-tasking OS.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Acronym expansion is requested.
  • DOS memory model and interrupt-driven activation are implied.
  • TSRs hooked interrupts (keyboard/timer) to trigger functionality on demand.


Concept / Approach:

TSR stands for 'Terminate and Stay Resident' (commonly written without 'and' in informal abbreviations), meaning the program terminates normally to DOS but leaves a portion resident in RAM, ready to resume service when triggered. This provided pseudo-multitasking for simple utilities without a full multitasking kernel.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Expand the acronym based on historical DOS usage.Match to the option 'Terminate Stay Resident' (the closest standard phrasing in the choices).Confirm that alternatives do not reflect established terminology.Select the correct expansion.


Verification / Alternative check:

DOS development references and interrupt lists document TSR mechanics and memory footprints extensively, using the phrase 'Terminate and Stay Resident'.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Other expansions are invented and not used historically.
  • None of the above is incorrect because a correct expansion is present.


Common Pitfalls:

  • Assuming TSRs provide full multitasking; they only offer limited resident functionality.


Final Answer:

Terminate Stay Resident.

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