Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition IDE
 

Solution Explorer
How can I add a link to a directory of items (for example a set of images I use in every project) ?
I keep data for my application in external XML file. I want to edit those files in the IDE, keep a copy as source and put another in the directory of the executable generated by Visual Basic (only when it does not exist or the existing one is old). So I add an XML file, I set "Build action" to "None" and "Copy to output" to "Copy if newer". This works fine until I rename the directory which contains the XML file.
Code generators
I want complete control of the code being compiled.
After I disable "Application framework", there are still files like "My Project\*.Designer.vb". Furthermore, I once got an unhandled exception in one of those files. I want to remove them. What can I do ? (Prior to the release of the Express Edition, I could only use third-party editors, so I am used to writing everything by myself. However, IntelliSense and the integrated debugger are just too useful to ignore and keep using a simple editor.)
Requirements
Has anybody managed to use the IDE on older configurations such as 96 MB RAM ? (I mean really use, not just start and watch the virtual memory page file reach 300 MB while the application is not even repainting its windows.)
Code editor
I consider the "Then" keyword useless (I never use If <condition> Then <statement>"). How can I disable such behavior ?

If you never ever conduct a comparision anywhere in your code, then it is not likely to do much.

If you remove the project framework and the application namespace... you have no application.

In fact I'm not sure if this is meant to be a joke or not. (that's three if statements right there for free)

I only use statements like :
The language reference states that the "Then" keyword is optional in this case. While having "Then" makes Visual Basic easier to understand, there is no actual need for it. I don't type it, but the code editor keeps inserting it.

Where exactly does the language reference state this?

"If...Then...Else Statement (Visual Basic)"
ms-help://MS.VSExpressCC.v80/MS.NETFramework.v20.en/dv_vbalr/html/790068a2-1307-4e28-8a72-be5ebda099e9.htm
(I have .NET Framework 2.0 SDK and Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition installed.)

Found it on MSDN. Interesting... I'm curious as to why they didn't just remove it altogether, if they felt it was useless.

Interesting, but I think in some circumstances you'd need to insert () around the expression to avoid ambiguity. Why not do away with the end if and replace it with a }. :rolleyes:

Because that would confuse you crazy VB programmers?

In Visual Basic 6, it wud pop up a message box saying "Expected End of statement" ...
According to me, that's an improvement!

Well, if it's optional, why would you do that?