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

In real-time systems, dynamic inconsistencies of software are hardly detected, diagnosed and handled. A built-in test (BIT) method is developed to cope with software dynamic inconsistency. BIT is defined as a new kind of software testing which is explicitly described in object-oriented source code as member functions. BITs can be activated at any designed moment at run-time to detect, diagnose and handle software dynamic inconsistencies. This paper 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 standard structures which incorporate BITs into conventional object-oriented software are analysed. Reuse methodologies for BITs in OO software are developed 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 developed. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.