Business Data List web part, format field from database as hyperlink

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:36:26 Z

Hi,

I have a BDC with an entity that selects fields from a table. One of the fields is the full pathname to a file, or it could be a hyperlink.
When I display the entity in a Business Data List Web Part, all fields are displayed as text, without any formatting. I know the formatting can be modified using the XSL editor (under modify web part), I have found a sample with date-time format . Some basic formatting can also be done with de sharePoint designer, but nowhere have I found an example that allows me to format the column with the link as a clickable hyperlink.
My strong points are sql server and .net , but not XSL , can anyone give me an example of how th eformatting needs to be done in XSL?

tnx in advance

Jan D'Hondt - Database and .NET development

Business Data List web part, format field from database as hyperlink

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:02:46 Z

Sure, here is an example of how I formatted a field to show an image: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepointbdc/thread/d2b18c36-c5b4-43d3-bae2-d9fd2b491a29. In the web part properties you can see the default XSL and then find the field you want to modify.

If you want to format it for a hyperlink and the field name is LinkUrl you can do it like this:

<xsl:element name="a">     

   <xsl:attribute name="href"><xsl:value-of select="@LinkUrl" /></xsl:attribute>    

</xsl:element>

The above example assumes the LinkUrl has the absolute path in it. If you need to append text to the value and LinkUrl is a relative path you could do something like this:

<xsl:element name="a">     

            <xsl:attribute name="href">http://www.mysite.com/path/<xsl:value-of select="@LinkUrl" /></xsl:attribute>    

</xsl:element>

Let me know if you have any questions on this, I would be glad to help.

Thanks,

If this answers your question, please use the "Answer" button to say so | Ben Cline

Business Data List web part, format field from database as hyperlink

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:31:26 Z

Ben,

thank you for the reply.

this is what I cooked from your answer and some others that I found on the web.
Remember, the XSL I am editing is for a Business Data List web part. My Datafield contains an absolute url. so I had to find out where in the XSL was the formatting of the cell values (not the headers).

Original XSL

<td class="ms-vb"> <xsl:attribute name="style"> <xsl:choose> <xsl:when test="$dvt_1_form_selectkey = @*[name()=$ColumnKey]">color:blue</xsl:when> <xsl:otherwise /> </xsl:choose> </xsl:attribute> <xsl:variable name="fieldValue"> <xsl:call-template name="LFtoBR"> <xsl:with-param name="input"> <xsl:value-of select="@DocumentationLink" /> </xsl:with-param> </xsl:call-template> </xsl:variable> <xsl:copy-of select="$fieldValue" /> </td>

Modified XSL

<td class="ms-vb"> <xsl:attribute name="style"> <xsl:choose> <xsl:when test="$dvt_1_form_selectkey = @*[name()=$ColumnKey]">color:blue</xsl:when> <xsl:otherwise /> </xsl:choose> </xsl:attribute> <a target="_blank" href="{@DocumentationLink}"> <xsl:value-of select="@DocumentationLink" /> </a> </td>

Jan D'Hondt - Database and .NET development

Business Data List web part, format field from database as hyperlink

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:57:26 Z

I was definitely referring to the values not the headers, which are found in a different section of the XSL entirely.

If this answers your question, please use the "Answer" button to say so | Ben Cline

Business Data List web part, format field from database as hyperlink

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:13:09 Z

The solution I have shown above is for the values , not for the headers. I see a column headers like usual and the a series of rows with the cell values formatted as hyperlinks.

Jan D'Hondt - Database and .NET development