Abstract: A user interface for a tester or simulator includes a menu for creating templates. The templates organize a set of the user's decisions regarding the timing, direction, and masking of all of the signals occurring during one tester cycle into a convenient form for use in another menu where test vectors are actually specified. In this other menu, the templates serve as a shorthand way of describing the function of each channel and its timing characteristics during one tester cycle. Thus, these templates organize and simplify the user's decision making, since many decisions, that would otherwise have to be made again and again, may now be made only once and then incorporated again and again by reference to the appropriate template. The use of the templates also conserves total memory requirements. The template menu can provide visual feedback that includes timing diagrams and icons to assist the user in constructing the template.