time-critical programming
noun phraseUK /ˌtaɪm ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈprəʊɡræmɪŋ/
US /ˌtaɪm ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈproʊɡræmɪŋ/
Writing computer code that must finish its job very fast, before a deadline.
The robot's time-critical programming makes it stop before it bumps into a wall.
SYNONYMS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Programming where a late answer is as bad as a wrong answer.
In time-critical programming, a missed deadline can crash the whole system.
3. Writing code for machines that must react instantly, like car brakes or pacemakers.
Time-critical programming keeps a pacemaker's timing perfectly steady.
4. The practice of measuring and shrinking every delay in a program.
She used time-critical programming to cut the game's response time in half.