CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 (V2) Practice Question

The correct answer is that the file uses a proprietary or custom structure defined by the creating software. The .dat file extension is short for 'data' and is used as a generic container for information specific to an application. It has no single, standardized format. The scenario described, with a mix of readable text and unreadable binary characters, is a common indicator of a proprietary format that requires specific software or knowledge of its unique structure to be parsed correctly.

• The suggestion that the file is corrupted is a plausible but less likely primary explanation. Proprietary files are often intentionally designed with mixed text and binary content.
• While some applications might use a .dat extension for a compressed archive, it is not the default meaning. Also, a standard compressed file would typically appear as entirely unreadable binary data in a text editor, not a mix with clear headers.
• A Character Large Object (CLOB) is a data type used within a database to store large amounts of text, not a standard file format itself, making this option incorrect.