1. A method for operating a remote device in relation to a programming environment of a programmable metrology system comprising a workpiece sensing portion; a movable stage for holding a workpiece; a control portion; a display; an accessory interface portion comprising an accessory communication portion; and a user interface comprising a programming environment that is operable during a learn mode of the programmable metrology system, the programming environment comprising an editable part program representation of part program instructions in an editing window on the display of the metrology system, the part program representation comprising instruction representations including a currently active current instruction representation, the method comprising: storing on the remote device reference information comprising a user note related to part programming, wherein the user note is provided by a user of the remote device and is to be displayed in association with instruction representations that are of a generic instruction type; providing a communication connection between the remote device and the programming environment; operating the accessory communication portion to output a current instruction identifier to the remote device, the current instruction identifier corresponding to the currently active current instruction representation which is of the generic instruction type; operating the remote device to receive the current instruction identifier; and operating the remote device according to at least one of a program or routine that is responsive to the received current instruction identifier to display the user note in response to the currently active current instruction representation being of the generic instruction type, wherein the user note is displayed in a current instruction reference information user interface portion on a display of the remote device.