Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Dynamic Data Exchange, a mechanism that lets applications share and update data at runtime
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is about an older Windows technology for inter process communication known as Dynamic Data Exchange, or DDE. Before modern frameworks and object models became common, DDE was used to allow programs like spreadsheets and word processors to share and update data dynamically. Understanding this term provides historical context for how software applications exchange information and helps distinguish it from unrelated phrases that might sound similar but are not technical concepts.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Dynamic Data Exchange is a Windows technology that allows applications to exchange data and send commands to each other. For example, a word processor could embed a chart from a spreadsheet, and DDE could be used to update that chart when the underlying data changes. The word dynamic indicates that data can change at runtime and updates can propagate between applications. Dodgy Data Exchange and Dogmatic Data Exchange are not recognized technical terms and sound more like jokes or informal phrases. Dynamic Disk Exchange would refer to hardware operations rather than to inter application data sharing. Therefore, Dynamic Data Exchange is the correct term for this feature.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the description of transferring data from one application to another within a computer system.Step 2: Recall that Dynamic Data Exchange, abbreviated as DDE, was introduced by Microsoft to enable this kind of inter process communication.Step 3: Check the other options and notice that they either use informal words or refer to unrelated activities, such as disk operations.Step 4: Recognize that only Dynamic Data Exchange matches the functionality described.Step 5: Conclude that the transfer of data between applications using this older mechanism is known as Dynamic Data Exchange.
Verification / Alternative check:
Documentation for older versions of Microsoft Windows and Office applications describes DDE as a protocol that allows applications to cooperate and share data dynamically. For example, spreadsheets, charts, and text documents could maintain links so that changes in one application automatically update embedded objects in another. Later technologies such as OLE and COM replaced or extended DDE, but the term Dynamic Data Exchange remains part of the historical record. No official Microsoft documentation uses the phrases Dodgy Data Exchange or Dogmatic Data Exchange as technical terms, confirming that Dynamic Data Exchange is the correct answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is incorrect because Dodgy Data Exchange is not a technical term and suggests insecurity rather than a defined feature. Option C is incorrect because Dogmatic Data Exchange has no meaning in computer science or Windows technology and appears to be a distractor. Option D is incorrect because Dynamic Disk Exchange would describe actions related to disks, not to data sharing between applications. Only option A, Dynamic Data Exchange, a mechanism that lets applications share and update data at runtime, aligns with the description in the question.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may never have encountered DDE because modern software often uses newer mechanisms such as object linking and embedding, COM, or web based APIs. As a result, they may be tempted to guess based on the attractive word dynamic without focusing on the full phrase. Another pitfall is to assume that any unfamiliar option might be correct simply because it sounds technical. A good strategy is to look for terms that appear in official documentation or textbooks and to be skeptical of options that sound humorous or informal. This approach helps in many multiple choice questions beyond this one.
Final Answer:
The correct answer is Dynamic Data Exchange, a mechanism that lets applications share and update data at runtime.
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