(scientific computation) An extra option added to a routine without changing the calling sequence. For example, instead of adding an explicit input variable to instruct a routine to give extra diagnostic output, the programmer might just add a test for some otherwise meaningless feature of the existing inputs, such as a negative mass. The use of hidden flags can make a program very hard to debug and understand, but is all too common wherever programs are hacked in a hurry. [Jargon File] (1994-11-24)

In addition suitable contents:
[ 2 ] [ = ] [ ad ] [ ag ] [ al ] [ am ] [ an ] [ ar ] [ arc ] [ arg ] [ as ] [ at ] [ b ] [ ca ] [ ch ] [ ci ] [ ck ] [ co ] [ com ] [ dd ] [ de ] [ deb ] [ ding ] [ du ] [ ed ] [ eg ] [ er ] [ es ] [ feature ] [ fi ] [ file ] [ flag ] [ fo ] [ for ] [ ga ] [ gh ] [ gi ] [ gl ] [ gn ] [ gr ] [ gs ] [ h ] [ hack ] [ hang ] [ hr ] [ ht ] [ hu ] [ id ] [ ie ] [ il ] [ in ] [ input ] [ io ] [ is ] [ it ] [ J ] [ Jargon File ] [ ke ] [ la ] [ lag ] [ Lex ] [ li ] [ ma ] [ mm ] [ mo ] [ mod ] [ module ] [ mp ] [ ms ] [ na ] [ nc ] [ ne ] [ ng ] [ ni ] [ no ] [ np ] [ ns ] [ om ] [ op ] [ option ] [ output ] [ ph ] [ pl ] [ pr ] [ program ] [ programmer ] [ pt ] [ query ] [ rc ] [ re ] [ ro ] [ routine ] [ ru ] [ rw ] [ sc ] [ se ] [ so ] [ st ] [ struct ] [ su ] [ T ] [ test ] [ th ] [ to ] [ tp ] [ tr ] [ ug ] [ us ] [ va ] [ var ] [ variable ] [ ve ]