flat

1. Lacking any complex internal structure. "That bitty box

has only a flat file system, not a hierarchical one." The verb

form is flatten. Usually used pejoratively (at least with

respect to file systems).

2. Said of a memory architecture like that of the VAX or

Motorola 680x0 that is one big linear address space

(typically with each possible value of a processor register

corresponding to a unique address). This is a Good Thing.

The opposite is a "segmented" architecture like that of the

Intel 80x86 in which addresses are composed from a

base-register/offset pair. Segmented designs are generally

considered cretinous.

3. A flat domain is one where all elements except bottom

are incomparable (equally well defined). E.g. the integers.

[Jargon File]