1. A method, comprising: deconstructing a complex structural description corresponding to a set of interconnected core circuits of a neural network circuit by generating a flat data file including information relating to the set of interconnected core circuits, wherein the complex structural description comprises a hierarchical combination of two or more structural descriptions, each of the two or more structural descriptions corresponds to a portion of the neural network circuit, and each of the two or more structural descriptions comprises information relating to at least one input received, at least output generated, and at least one function performed by a corresponding portion of the neural network circuit; and programming the set of interconnected core circuits based on the flat data file; wherein the flat data file is suitable for use with a cortical simulator; and wherein each core circuit comprises an interconnect network including a plurality of electronic synapses for interconnecting a plurality of electronic neurons with a plurality of electronic axons.