How should the developer reference the parameter that contains the database hostname?
Use the ssm dynamic reference.
Use the Ref intrinsic function.
Use the Fn::ImportValue intrinsic function.
Use the ssm-secure dynamic reference.
Explanations:
The ssm dynamic reference allows CloudFormation to retrieve parameters stored in the AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store. This is the appropriate way to reference the database hostname stored as a plaintext value, enabling seamless integration during stack creation.
The Ref intrinsic function is used to reference resources within the same CloudFormation stack, such as output values from other resources defined in the stack. It cannot be used to retrieve values from Systems Manager Parameter Store directly.
The Fn::ImportValue intrinsic function is used to import output values from other CloudFormation stacks. It does not apply to referencing parameters stored in Systems Manager Parameter Store, which is not related to stack outputs.
The ssm-secure dynamic reference is used to reference parameters stored in the Systems Manager Parameter Store that are encrypted. Since the database hostname is stored as a plaintext value, the ssm dynamic reference is the correct choice, making this option inappropriate.
I scheme that the answer is:
Use the ssm dynamic reference.