Abstract: A processor is provided with a decoder, a memory connected to the decoder and an execution stage connected to the decoder. The decoder receives each instruction. Each time the decoder receives an instruction, if the instruction contains a symbolic reference, the decoder determines whether or not the symbolic reference has been resolved into a numeric operand. If the symbolic reference has been resolved into a numeric operand, the memory retrieves, from a numeric reference table, a numeric operand to which the symbolic reference has been resolved. The execution stage then executes the instruction on the retrieved numeric operand in place of the symbolic reference. If the symbolic reference has not been resolved into a numeric operand, then the execution stage searches a data object, which relates each symbolic reference to a memory slot in which a corresponding numeric operand is stored, for a numeric reference relating the symbolic reference to a corresponding numeric operand.