**TL;DR** Is there any official documentation  that describes in detail how the `&lt;private&gt;` / &quot;Copy Local&quot; option works **with MSBuild**? And what values are supposed to go into it?

-------------

When you [add a *project* reference][1] from one project in Visual Studio to another, it will add a `&lt;ProjectReference Include=&quot;.....csproj&quot;&gt;` to the `.csproj` MSBuild file.

When you [add a *file* reference][2] from one project in Visual Studio to an assembly file in the file system, it will add a `&lt;Reference Include=&quot;Foo&quot;&gt; &lt;HintPath&gt;....Foo.dll&lt;/HintPath&gt; ...` to the `.csproj` MSBuild file.

In *both* cases, for the Visual Studio Setting `Copy Local = True|False`, a sub-element `&lt;Private&gt;True&lt;/Private&gt;` or `&lt;Private&gt;False&lt;/Private&gt;` will be added.

`Reference`and `ProjectReference` seem to be documented under [Common MSBuild Project Items][3]:

&gt;     &lt;ProjectReference&gt;
&gt;       Represents a reference to another project.
&gt;     
&gt;       Item Name    Description
&gt;       -------------------------
&gt;        Name         ...
&gt;        Project      ...
&gt;        Package      ...
&gt;     
&gt;     &lt;Reference&gt;
&gt;       Represents an assembly (managed) reference in the project.
&gt;     
&gt;       Item Name     Description
&gt;       --------------------------
&gt;        HintPath      Optional string. Relative or absolute path of the assembly.
&gt;        Name          ...
&gt;        ...
&gt;        Private       Optional string. Determines whether to copy the file to the output directory. 
&gt;                      Values are:
&gt;                          1. Never
&gt;                          2. Always
&gt;                          3. PreserveNewest

You will notice that, 

1. `ProjectReference` *doesn&#39;t document* the `&lt;private&gt;` Item at all
2. `Reference` *does not list* `True`or `False` as possible values.

**So. Huh?** Is there any official documentation (I&#39;ll be more than happy with a good blog entry) that describes in detail how the `&lt;private&gt;` option works? **Are the doc&#39;s just dead wrong or is there something more to it?**

---------

Example snippet from my VS 2013 Express here:

    ...
      &lt;ItemGroup&gt;
        &lt;Reference Include=&quot;ClassLibrary2&quot;&gt;
          &lt;HintPath&gt;C:\Somewhere\ClassLibrary2.dll&lt;/HintPath&gt;
          &lt;Private&gt;True&lt;/Private&gt;
        &lt;/Reference&gt;
        &lt;Reference Include=&quot;System&quot; /&gt;
    ...
      &lt;ItemGroup&gt;
        &lt;ProjectReference Include=&quot;..\ClassLibrary1\ClassLibrary1.csproj&quot;&gt;
          &lt;Project&gt;{861dd746-de2e-4961-94db-4bb5b05effe9}&lt;/Project&gt;
          &lt;Name&gt;ClassLibrary1&lt;/Name&gt;
          &lt;Private&gt;False&lt;/Private&gt;
        &lt;/ProjectReference&gt;
    ...

  [1]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/wkze6zky.aspx
  [2]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/wkze6zky.aspx
  [3]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb629388.aspx


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MSBuild ProjectReference:private ("Copy Local") - what are the allowed values and behaviour?