hidden flag: n. [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 on in a hurry.
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