Abstract: A bitstream management system and method which provides an infrastructure to enable comprehensive testing of devices that implement multiple syntax rule sets. In this system and method, modules for the individual syntax rule sets are implemented using profiles (concise representations of data streams). The modules each have a profile generator which determines a permutation of selected values for a set of syntax variables and translates that permutation into a profile. The modules also each have a data stream generator which converts the profiles into the data streams they represent. The use of profiles provides an advantageous method for maintaining the modularity of the syntax modules when integrating them together to provide a system for generating data streams which must comply with multiple syntax rule sets.