How can I make all of the IDisposable classes colored differently in the Visual Studio IDE?

Question

Title covers it all. I'd like classes which implement IDisposable to show up in a specific color so I can know if I should wrap them in a using block. Is there a setting or a process by which you can extend the IDE?

Answer 1

I assume this will become easier/extension-free once Roslyn comes out, but this is presently not easy because you can't access the code as C# from an extension easily.

In Resharper it's easy, though! My example was tested in ReSharper 9.0. Sadly, there's no easy way to give this to you.

• Extensions -> Resharper -> Options -> Code Inspection -> Custom Patterns -> Add, dialog popup
• Select C# (upper left)
• Select "Find" (upper right)
• Add the pattern of new $disp$($args$)
• Pattern severity: Show as suggestion
• Description: Disposable construction
• "Add Placeholder" of type: Type, name: disp, type: System.IDisposable
• "Add Placeholder" of type: Arguments, name: args

Save and you'll now get a "suggestion" whenever a new disposable is being constructed.

Adding the pattern $disp$ $var$ = $exp$; could also be helpful.

• "Add Placeholder" of type: Type, name: disp, type: System.IDisposable
• "Add Placeholder" of type: Expression, name: exp
• "Add Placeholder" of type: Identifier, name: var