Operating Systems (Hands-On)/Case Study Windows/Review Quiz

Case Study Windows - Review Quiz

1

What was the primary reason early versions of Microsoft Windows were described as an “operating environment”?

	They required a mouse made by Microsoft.
	They ran on top of DOS rather than directly on hardware.
	They were spiritually guided by Clippy.
	They were written entirely in assembly language.

2

Which version of Windows marked the complete merging of the consumer Windows line with Windows NT?

	Windows ME
	Windows Vista, emotionally.
	Windows 95
	Windows XP

3

What is the primary role of the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) in Windows?

	To translate Python into C++.
	To provide a generalized interface to hardware devices and interrupts.
	To abstract away the concept of electricity.
	To draw buttons on the screen.

4

Why is the Native NT API generally unsafe for direct use by user applications?

	It only works on Tuesdays.
	It was cursed by early Windows engineers.
	It is largely undocumented and subject to change without warning.
	It requires a secret Microsoft NDA.

5

What is the fundamental mechanism Windows uses to coordinate actions between objects?

	Polling every object constantly
	Telepathy via the registry
	Message passing
	Shared global variables

6

What does a handle represent in the Windows operating system?

	A pointer to physical memory.
	An identifier used to reference a system object.
	A GUI widget shaped like a doorknob.
	The thing you grab when Windows crashes.

7

Which message is sent to a window procedure when a button is clicked?

	WM_DO_THE_THING
	WM_COMMAND
	WM_BUTTON_SMASH
	WM_CLICK

8

Why do Win32 programs typically identify controls using control IDs instead of window handles?

	Handles are illegal in modern C++.
	Control IDs are stable, simple, and safer than mutable global handles.
	Control IDs are faster because they are prime numbers.
	Handles refuse to cooperate out of spite.

9

What is the purpose of the Win32 message loop?

	To retrieve and dispatch messages to the appropriate window procedure.
	To ensure Windows never sleeps.
	To keep the CPU busy at all times.
	To repeatedly redraw the desktop background.

10

Why does Win32 programming require frequent reference to documentation?

	Programmers are expected to memorize everything.
	The API is large, layered, and designed to be used with reference material.
	The documentation is actually the operating system.
	Microsoft enjoys watching developers struggle.