1. A method of programming a barcode symbol reading system having a field of view, comprising: accessing a list comprising programming commands for programming the barcode symbol reading system and barcode symbols corresponding to each command, the list being displayed on a visual display connected to a computer and the list being stored as a single programming commands Portable Document Format (PDF) file on the computer; selecting a programming command from the list of programming commands via a user interface connected to the computer; wherein the computer comprises a processor configured for: as a programming command is selected from the list of programming commands, displaying a modified view of the selected command comprising a shift of the selected command with respect to an original position of the selected command and a shadow surrounding the outline of the selected command; and in response to the selection of a programming command from the list of programming commands, generating a page bearing a barcode symbol corresponding to the selected programming command and no other barcode symbol corresponding to another programming command in the list of programming commands, wherein the generated page is one page from a symbols PDF file stored on the computer, the symbols PDF file comprising a plurality of pages, each page bearing only one symbol corresponding to a command from the list of programming commands in the single programming commands PDF file; printing the computer generated page bearing a barcode symbol corresponding to the selected programming command; and placing the printed computer generated page within the system's field of view; wherein the programming commands PDF file and the symbols PDF file are hyperlinked.