Vb.net Expression Expected after "&" - vb.net

Question

I am trying to write text to a file, and have it all except one error.
It says "Expression Expected"
Here's the code:
Using writer As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(filepath)
writer.Write("[HealthBarSettings]" & vbNewLine & _
"MaxHealthTicks = 50" & vbNewLine & _
"MaxHealthMicroTicks = 100" & vbNewLine & _
"DefaultHealthPerMicroTick = 50" & vbNewLine & _
"DefaultHealthPerTick = 200" & vbNewLine & _
"DefaultHealthPerMegaTick = 1000" & vbNewLine & _
& vbNewLine & _
"TickAlpha = 200" & vbNewLine & _
"MicroTickAlpha = 140" & vbNewLine & _
"MicroTickHeight = 0.5" & vbNewLine & _
"MegaTickAlpha = 255" & vbNewLine & _
"TickThickness = 1.0" & vbNewLine & _
"MicroTickThickness = 1.0" & vbNewLine & _
"MegaTickThickness = 2.0" & vbNewLine & _
& vbNewLine & _
"UseCompression = 1" & vbNewLine & _
"GoTransparent = 1" & vbNewLine & _
The error is on line 8 were it says "& vbNewLine & _" with nothing else on the line, the first & is underlined. There's no errors on the other lines like this one.

Answer 1

I really hate string concatenations. Just to avoid it I would write
Dim sb = new StringBuilder(680)
sb.AppendLine("[HealthBarSettings]")
sb.AppendLine("MaxHealthTicks = 50")
sb.AppendLine("MaxHealthMicroTicks = 100")
sb.AppendLine("DefaultHealthPerMicroTick = 50")
sb.AppendLine("DefaultHealthPerTick = 200")
sb.AppendLine("DefaultHealthPerMegaTick = 1000")
sb.AppendLine()
sb.AppendLine("TickAlpha = 200")
sb.AppendLine("MicroTickAlpha = 140")
sb.AppendLine("MicroTickHeight = 0.5")
sb.AppendLine("MegaTickAlpha = 255")
sb.AppendLine("TickThickness = 1.0")
sb.AppendLine("MicroTickThickness = 1.0")
sb.AppendLine("MegaTickThickness = 2.0")
sb.AppendLine()
sb.AppendLine("UseCompression = 1")
sb.AppendLine("GoTransparent = 1")
writer.Write(sb.ToString())
I have created a StringBuilder with an initial capacity of 680 chars. (Assuming 17 lines with 40 chars each). The StringBuilder has an internal buffer where it store the characters. This buffer start with a 16 char capacity. You could call the constructor of the StringBuilder saying that you need 1K buffer. This will create the internal buffer for the requested size and, if it is large enough, the framework don't need to do a resizing operation when, adding more characters, you exceed the buffer current size.

Answer 2

Change line 8 to:
"DefaultHealthPerMegaTick = 1000" & vbNewLine _
& vbNewLine & _
The problem was the extra &. You don't need a concatenation operator when using _

Answer 3

you have used & sign twice
1. "MaxHealthTicks = 50" & vbNewLine & _
2. "MaxHealthMicroTicks = 100" & vbNewLine & _
3. "DefaultHealthPerMicroTick = 50" & vbNewLine & _
4. "DefaultHealthPerTick = 200" & vbNewLine & _
6. "DefaultHealthPerMegaTick = 1000" & vbNewLine & _
7. & vbNewLine & _
8. "TickAlpha = 200" & vbNewLine & _
9. "MicroTickAlpha = 140" & vbNewLine & _
10. "MicroTickHeight = 0.5" & vbNewLine & _
11. "MegaTickAlpha = 255" & vbNewLine & _
12. "TickThickness = 1.0" & vbNewLine & _
13. "MicroTickThickness = 1.0" & vbNewLine & _
14. "MegaTickThickness = 2.0" & vbNewLine & _
15. & vbNewLine & _
16. "UseCompression = 1" & vbNewLine & _
17. "GoTransparent = 1" & vbNewLine & _
See the last Line i mentioned... line 6 have '&' and 7 also have '&' so it used twice
and also same thing on 14 and 15 no line and no need to use if 17 no line your last line
& _