A data processing system includes a grouping tool coupled to a processor. The grouping tool groups the stream of instructions such that each group of instructions has a dimensionless signature annotated thereto. An instruction prefetch unit of the processor fetches the stream of grouped instructions from a memory in the processor and an instruction issue logic unit of the processor identifies boundaries between the groups of instructions by executing a signature detection algorithm. In one embodiment, the data processing system includes a pipelined superscalar processor core and is capable of concurrently executing multiple instructions in the same or different pipeline stages.