File Processing Quiz

Enter Your Name and ID

What is an advantage of using a higher blocking factor when writing to tape?

• More inter-block gaps

• Higher effective recording density

• Slower data transfer

• Less data security

In tape storage, what causes a decrease in effective transmission rate when using a blocking factor of 1?

• Larger inter-block gaps

• Higher start/stop overhead

• smaller tape reels

• Lower data density

Why do inter-block gaps exist on tapes?

• To improve storage efficiency

• To make room for error checking

• To accommodate starting and stopping of the tape

• To allow data compression

Does internal fragmentation of tracks occur when using tapes?

• Yes, heavily

• No, tapes write sequentially

• Only on old tapes

• Only during reads

Which of the following characters is NOT typically used as a field delimiter?

• Comma

• Colon

• Space

• Asterisk

In a file with both fixed and variable-length fields, variable-length fields should be placed:

• First

• Last

• In the middle

• It doesn't matter

A labeled record structure is beneficial when:

• File size must be minimized

• Easy identification of fields is needed

• Speed is the only priority

• All records are identical

If your programming language doesn't recognize a stream of fields, how can you implement it?

• Ignore it

• Use available string structures

• Use variable memory pointers

• None of the above

Using ASCII for all file contents compared to mixing binary and ASCII results in:

• Easier human readability

• Larger file sizes

• Better compression

• Both a and b