On coping with real-time software dynamic inconsistency by built-in tests

In real-time systems, dynamic inconsistencies of software are hardly detect ed, diagnosed and handled. A built-in test (BIT) method is developed to cop e with software dynamic inconsistency. BIT is defined as a new kind of soft ware testing which is explicitly described in object-oriented source code a s member functions. BITs can be activated at any designed moment at run-tim e to detect, diagnose and handle software dynamic inconsistencies. This pap er develops a new approach to cope with software dynamic inconsistencies at run-time by BITs. In this paper, the concept of BITs is introduced. The st andard structures which incorporate BITs into conventional object-oriented software are analysed. Reuse methodologies for BITs in OO software are deve loped at object and system levels. A case study is provided for showing how to create BIT and how to inherit and reuse BITs in OO programming. Methods for incorporating BITs into OO software at object, class and system levels are provided. An approach to dynamic inconsistency control by BITs is deve loped.