

bit                         Definition                        bit




bit is  an abbreviation  for ``binary  digit''.  It is  the basic
unit of data  processing.  A bit can have a  value of either zero
or one.  Bits can be concatenated to form bytes.

A bit can  be used either as a placeholder  to construct a number
with an absolute value, or as a flag whose value has a particular
meaning  under specially  defined circumstances.   In  the former
use, a  string of bits builds  an integer.  In the  latter use, a
string of bits forms a map, in which each bit has a meaning other
than its numeric value.

***** See Also *****

bit map, byte, definitions, nybble










































COHERENT Lexicon                                           Page 1


