1. An indirect very long instruction word (VLIW) processing system comprising: a first processing element (PE) having a VLIW instruction memory (VIM) for storing function instructions in slots within a VIM memory location; a first register for storing a control instruction and a function instruction , the function instruction having a plurality of definition bits defining both a the control instruction type and an execution unit type of the function instruction; a predecoder for decoding the plurality of definition bits; and a load mechanism for loading the function instruction in one of said slots in VIM based upon both said decoding, and a control instruction defining a load operation.