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Options, Text Editor, Basic (Visual Basic)

The VB Specific property page, in the Basic folder of the Text Editor folder of the Options (Tools menu) dialog box contains the following properties:

  • Automatic insertion of end constructs
    When you type—for example, the first line of a procedure declaration, Sub Main—and press ENTER, the text editor adds a matching End Sub line. Similarly, if you add a For loop, the text editor adds a matching Next statement. When this option is selected, the code editor automatically adds the end construct.

  • Pretty Listing (reformatting) of code
    The text editor reformats your code as appropriate. When this option is selected, the code editor will:

    • Align your code to the correct tab position

    • Recase keywords, variables, and objects to the correct case

    • Add a missing Then to an If...Then statement

    • Add parenthesis to function calls

    • Add missing end quotes to strings

    • Reformat exponential notation

    • Reformat dates

  • Enable outlining mode
    When you open a file in the code editor, you can view the document in outlining mode. See Outlining for more information. When this option is selected, the outlining feature is activated when you open a file.

  • Automatic insertion of Interface and MustOverride members
    When you commit an Implements statement or an Inherits statement for a class, the text editor inserts prototypes for the members that have to be implemented or overridden, respectively.

  • Show procedure line separators
    The text editor indicates visual scope of procedures. A line is drawn in the .vb source files of your project at locations listed in the following table:

    Location in .vb Source File

    Example of Line Location

    After the close of a block declaration construct

    • At the end of a class, structure, module, interface, or enum

    • After a property, function, or sub

    • Not between the get and set clauses in a property

    After a set of single line constructs

    • After the import statements, before a type definition in a class file

    • After variables declared in a class, before any procedures

    After single line declarations (non-block level declarations)

    • Following import statements, inherits statements, variable declarations, event declarations, delegate declarations, and DLL declare statements

  • Enable error correction suggestions
    The text editor can suggest solutions to common errors and allow you to select the appropriate correction, which is then applied to your code.

  • Enable highlighting of references and keywords
    The text editor can highlight all instances of a symbol or all of the keywords in a clause such as If..Then, While...End While, or Try...Catch...Finally. You can navigate between highlighted references or keywords by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW or CTRL+SHIFT+UP ARROW.

See Also

Reference

General, Environment, Options Dialog Box

Options, Text Editor, All Languages, Tabs