Apparatus and method for circuit design

A computer-implemented batch method for operation of a processor coupled to a computer-readable instruction and data store comprising:

• reading from computer-readable data store a register specification containing at least one embedded entity template as an input file;
• locating and processing data entered into each embedded entity template;
• creating at least one entity when a template is read in an input file;
• and
• creating a hierarchy when a hierarchical template is read in an input file.

A computer-implemented interactive method for operation of a processor coupled to a graphical user interface display terminal, a computer-readable instruction and data store comprising:

• displaying a toolbar of icons within a graphical user interface of a word processing application program;
• upon user selection of a template icon,
• embedding an entity template into a document;
• and
• upon user selection of a hierarchy icon,
• embedding a hierarchy template into a document.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first processor configured to display an editor of a word processing application to provide a description of a device;
• a second processor, the second processor coupled to the first processor through an application programming interface of said word processing application, and the second processor being configured to include at least one feature of the device in the description, the description being an electronic word processor document;
• an adder, the adder coupled to the first processor, and the adder being configured to add an information pertaining to the at least one feature;
• a detector, the detector coupled to the first processor, and the detector being adapted to configure the description to detect a relationship between the information and the at least one feature;
• a semantic validator, configured to check data entered by the user for semantic validity, and further configured to check syntax and to check hierarchy;
• the semantic validator coupled to,
• an error and annotation handler, configured to annotate errors into the electronic word processor document;
• a generator, the generator coupled to the first processor, and the generator being coupled to generate an error message conveying the relationship,
• a calculator, the calculator coupled to the first processor, and the calculator being configured to calculate a register address from a register template embedded into the electronic word processor document,
• a display device, the display device coupled to the first processor, and the display device being configured to display a register address in the description of the device,
• the first processor further configured to describe an interface of the device;
• the second processor further configured to include at least one of a register, a memory, and a bit;
• the second processor further configured to generate a register transfer logic description from the electronic word processor document;
• the adder further configured to at least one of add a property of a bit and add a method of modifying a bit,
• the detector further configured to interact with at least one of an input file, an error checker, and an error handler;
• the detector further configured to detect at least one of a consistency and an inconsistency between the information pertaining to the at least one feature and the at least one feature;
• the error and annotation handler further configured to transmit error messages through the application programming interface to the editor of the word processing application for display in the electronic word processing document,
• wherein the system is adapted to be controlled by a single process of a computer operating system.