Create IDebugLaunchProvider without "debugger" property page template?

[Ben Garcia]

I would like to create a custom debug engine that doesn't need the 'debugger' dropdown that the "debugger" property page template provides.

However, if I set the debugger's property page template to "generic" (or doesn't exist, or anything besides "debugger"), the property page looks normal but VS absolutely refuses to recognize the debugger. (Contrary to what /doc/extensibility/IDebugLaunchProvider.md says, which states: The XAML rule is completely optional)

OK, so maybe I'll just remove the property from the property page? Nope - if DebuggerFlavor is not in a rule, then VS shows this cryptic message when loading the debugger property page (which isn't caught in the main instance of Visual Studio attached to the experimental instance) (presumably looking for the property that doesn't exist):

It would be nice to have this and other property page template dependencies documented, and a way to create a debugger without having a "debugger" property page.

(For future Googlers, Object reference not set to an instance of an object (the null reference exception message) in the debugger property pages means your project needs a DebuggerFlavor property in a rule of name DebuggerGeneralProperties for the page to work)