title: Reference Prefixes in .NET XML Documentation
body: <p>I've been attempting to fully document all types, methods, properties, etc. of a class library using XML comments but have run into a curious effect involving the <code>cref</code> attribute (used by <code>see</code> tags for example). Going by the advice of <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fsbx0t7x.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this MSDN page</a> as well as following various other examples on MSDN and other websites, it seems that whenever one specifies a reference value using the <code>cref</code> tag, it must be prefixed with a certain marker that classifies the refence (such as 'T:' for type and 'M:' for method).</p>
  
  <p>Using Microsoft Sandcastle, however, I've observed that by missing out these prefixes there is an effect in the generated documentation (CHM help file in this case). Including prefixes (in all situations I belive), the reference is rendered on the page as bold text... Yet discluding the prefix the reference is rendered as an anchor (link) to the appropiate page within the API reference. It seems rather strange to me that the recommended method of prefixing (all?) references is giving the least useful result - why should the reference be rendered as bold in one case and linked in another? I would appreciate if someone could shed some light on this.</p>