Can't you use the DesignMode property? See http://weblogs.asp.net/fmarguerie/archive/2005/03/23/395658.aspx


>I created a custom Base Form class, and I am trying to add logic in the constructor to append a string to the forms Text property based on a string in App.Config. I can make this work, but when I try to edit the derived form in VS in Design View I get an error indicating that it can't find the config file, which means that when a form is opened in Design view, it fires the constructor method. Is this correct, and if so, how can I do this without getting the error. Here is the Base Form class:
>
>

>    <CLSCompliant(True)> _
>    Public Class RAFForm
>        Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
>
>        Public Sub New()
>
>            MyBase.New()
>
>            If AppEnvironment.CurrentEnvironment <> AppEnvironment.Environment.PRODUCTION Then
>                MyBase.Text = String.Concat(MyBase.Text, " (", AppEnvironment.CurrentEnvironment.ToString, ")")
>            End If
>
>        End Sub
>
>    End Class
>

>
>The CurrentEnvironment method of the AppEnvironment class is a static method that reads from the config file and returns what environment is current set.