SharedPreferences : Why are they called so?

As per my understanding the values stored using the SharedPreferences in an开发者_JS百科droid can be used only by the app which created it.(correct me if wrong).

Then what is the significance of the name SharedPreferences.

Is something really shared here?

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well it can be shared accross applications if you set the mode to WORLD READABLE or WORLD_WRITEABLE. (think ringtone settings, notification message etc...)

see this link

public static final int MODE_WORLD_READABLE
Since: API Level 1

File creation mode: allow all other applications to have read access to 
the created file.

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The SharedPreferences use a secure /data directory for preferences that are shared within your app's activities and services.

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/SharedPreferences.html