1  definition  found 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  real-time 
 
  1.  Describes  an  application  which  requires  a  program  to 
  respond  to  stimuli  within  some  small  upper  limit  of  response 
  time  (typically  milli-  or  microseconds).  Process  control  at  a 
  chemical  plant  is  the  classic  example.  Such  applications 
  often  require  special  operating  systems  (because  everything 
  else  must  take  a  back  seat  to  response  time)  and  speed-tuned 
  hardware. 
 
  2.  In  jargon,  refers  to  doing  something  while  people  are 
  watching  or  waiting.  "I  asked  her  how  to  find  the  calling 
  procedure's  program  counter  on  the  stack  and  she  came  up  with 
  an  algorithm  in  real  time." 
 
  Used  to  describe  a  system  that  must  guarantee  a  response  to  an 
  external  event  within  a  given  time. 
 
  (1997-11-23) 
 
 

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