WhatIs

/fla-tᵊn/

vt. To remove structural information, esp. to filter something with an implicit tree structure into a simple sequence of leaves; also tends to imply mapping to flat-ASCII.

"This code flattens an expression with parentheses into an equivalent canonical form."

/flat-fī(-ə)l/

adj. A flattened representation of some database or tree or network structure as a single file from which the structure could implicitly be rebuilt, esp. one in flat-ASCII form.

/flat-a-(ˌ)skē/

adj. Said of a text file that contains only 7-bit ASCII characters and uses only ASCII-standard control characters (that is, has no embedded codes specific to a particular text formatter or markup language, and no meta-characters).

Syn. plain-ASCII.

Compare flat-file.

/flat/

adj. 1. Lacking any complex internal structure.

"That bitty box has only a flat filesystem, not a hierarchical one."

The verb form is flatten.

/flarp/

[Rutgers University]

n. Yet another metasyntactic variable (see foo). Among those who use it, it is associated with a legend that any program not containing the word 'flarp' somewhere will not work. The legend is discreetly silent on the reliability of programs which do contain the magic word.

/flap/

vt. 1. To unload a DECtape (so it goes flap, flap, flap...). Old-time hackers at MIT tell of the days when the disk was device 0 and microtapes were 1, 2,... and attempting to flap device 0 would instead start a motor banging inside a cabinet near the disk.

2. By extension, to unload any magnetic tape.

See also macrotape.

Modern cartridge tapes no longer actually flap, but the usage has remained.

/flām'r/

n. One who habitually flames. Said esp. of obnoxious USENET personalities.

/flām wȯr/

n. (var. 'flamewar') An acrimonious dispute, especially when conducted on a public electronic forum such as USENET.

/flām ȯn/

vi.,interj. 1. To begin to flame.

2. To continue to flame.

See rave, burble.

/flām bāt/

n. A posting intended to trigger a flame war, or one that invites flames in reply.