This article describe a simple way to format Links App web parts using XSL Link for SharePoint Server 2013 and SharePoint Online from Office 365.

Description

Into a Links app you can add new items by specifying URL, Description and Notes. By default all links stored in this lists are opened into the same windows/tab. This article purpose a new way to open links into another tab/windows by using a custom XSL file, without any programming skills or tools.

Remarks

There are many articles on the internet that are demonstrating the use of custom applications, JavaScript or programming languages. Other articles are referring to other type of links. (see References section)

Tested in SharePoint Server 2013 and SharePoint online from Office 365.

How it works

1. Create a default Links app (Add an app, select Links, type the name example Links and press Ok).
2. Open site contents, Site Assets, and upload the XSL file.
3. Copy the shortcut of uploaded xsl file into your clipboard.
4. Edit your page and insert Links App part.
5. Check the webpart from page and select Web part Properties from Ribbon.
6. From the right side expand Miscellaneous and paste your clipboard into the XSL Link text box and click Apply

Press Ok and Save the page.

XSL File

The file could be downloaded from Technet Gallery from the address:  https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Open-SharePoint-Links-into-76550ff1

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<!–
#Project: Open Links in New Tab v1
#Author: Valy Greavu, MVP
#Date: 2014-11-26
#Version comment:
1:-
–>

<!– XLS Link SharePoint Definition –>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:x=”http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema”
        xmlns:d=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp”
        version=”1.0″
        exclude-result-prefixes=”xsl msxsl ddwrt”
        xmlns:ddwrt=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/WebParts/v2/DataView/runtime”
        xmlns:asp=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/ASPNET/20″
        xmlns:__designer=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/WebParts/v2/DataView/designer”
        xmlns:xsl=”http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform”
        xmlns:msxsl=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt”
        xmlns:SharePoint=”Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls”
        xmlns:ddwrt2=”urn:frontpage:internal”>

    <xsl:output method=”html” indent=”no”/>
    <xsl:template match=”/” xmlns:x=”http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema”>

    <!– Defining variable userd for all records from a Links list –>
    <xsl:variable name=”Rows” select=”/dsQueryResponse/Rows/Row” />
    <!– Display the list as a unsorted list. Also you can choose to create a table. –>   
    <ul>
        <xsl:for-each select=”$Rows”>
            <xsl:variable name=”LinkUrl”>
                <xsl:value-of select=”@URL”/>
            </xsl:variable>   
            <xsl:variable name=”LinkTitle”>
                <xsl:value-of select=”@URL.desc”/>   
            </xsl:variable>
            <li>
                <a href=”{$LinkUrl}” target=”_blank”>
                    <xsl:value-of select=”$LinkTitle” />
                </a>
            </li>
        </xsl:for-each>
    </ul>
    </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>   
<!– EOF –>

References

• http://www.saxonica.com/papers/ideadb-1.1/mhk-paper.xml
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ecm/archive/2006/10/25/configuring-and-customizing-the-content-query-web-part.aspx
• http://sharepointerthilosh.blogspot.ro/2013/04/customise-list-view-webpart-using.html
• http://www.heathersolomon.com/blog/articles/CustomItemStyle.aspx