SharePoint 2010 - How to Get XML Sample Data for Debugging Web Parts that support XSL transform customization (e.g. Search and Content Query Web Parts)

XSLT is the preferred technology for customizing the visual output of SharePoint Web parts (primarily as it is standards-based and non-proprietary). However, there is absolutely no XSLT debugging support provided within the SharePoint environment (this is surprising as it is so pervasive). With these limitations in mind, XSLT should ideally be developed outside of SharePoint in a proper IDE that supports XSL debugging such as Visual Studio 2010 or Altova's XMLSpy.

However, debugging XSLT requires a data source (in the form of XML sample data) as input to the XSL transform. The simplest way to get a sample input XML file provided by SharePoint for a XSL-enabled web part is to do the following:

1) Open ContentQueryMain.xsl and find the XSL that looks like the following:

<xsl:template match="/">
  <xsl:call-template name="OuterTemplate"> </xsl:call-template></xsl:template>

Replace this XSL with the following so that it outputs all xml rather than just applying the OuterTemplate xsl template :

<xsl:template match="/">
  <xmp><xsl:copy-of select="*" /></xmp>
</xsl:template>

To avoid modifying system files like ContentQueryMain.xsl, you can make a copy the ContentQueryMain.xsl e.g. ContentQueryMainDebug.xsl and point your CQWP to the Content QueryMainDebug.xsl file instead - using the MainXslLink property of the Content Query Web Part (defined in the .webpart file).

2) View Source on the page and locate the block of XML that has been output by your web part.

3) Save it as a text file and use it as input into your favourite XSL development tool.

DDK