HintPath vs ReferencePath in Visual Studio

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According to this MSDN blog: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/manishagarwal/2005/09/28/resolving-file-references-in-team-build-part-2/

There is a search order for assemblies when building. The search order is as follows:

  • Files from the current project – indicated by ${CandidateAssemblyFiles}.
  • $(ReferencePath) property that comes from .user/targets file.
  • %(HintPath) metadata indicated by reference item.
  • Target framework directory.
  • Directories found in registry that uses AssemblyFoldersEx Registration.
  • Registered assembly folders, indicated by ${AssemblyFolders}.
  • $(OutputPath) or $(OutDir)
  • GAC

So, if the desired assembly is found by HintPath, but an alternate assembly can be found using ReferencePath, it will prefer the ReferencePath‘d assembly to the HintPath‘d one.

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