real time
1. [techspeak] adj. 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 canonical example. Such applications often
require special operating systems (because everything else must
take a back seat to response time) and speed-tuned hardware. 2.
adv. 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."