1. A programmable processor comprising: an instruction path; a data path; an external interface operable to receive data from an external source and communicate the received data over the data path; a cache operable to retain data communicated between the external interface and the data path; a register file operable to receive and store data from the data path and communicate the stored data to the data path; and an execution unit coupled to the instruction and data paths and operable to decode and execute instructions received from the instruction path, at least some of the instructions including a group floating-point instruction operating on first and second registers partitioned into a plurality of floating point operands, the floating point operands having a defined precision and the defined precision being dynamically variable, having a defined result precision which is equal to the defined precision of the operands; at least some group floating-point instruction being a group floating-point multiply-and-add instruction, further operating on a third register partitioned into a plurality of floating-point operands, the execution unit operable to multiply the plurality of floating-point operands in the first and second registers and add the plurality of floating-point operands in the third register, each producing a floating-point value to provide a plurality of floating-point values, each of the floating-point values capable of being represented by the defined result precision, and a catenated result having a plurality of partitioned fields for receiving the plurality of floating point values.