SharePoint 2010 - Use custom ItemStyle settings in Content Query Web Part.

Friends, I know many might find it easy to use the Custom Item Style for a Content Query Web Part. But, still I will try and explain a small process in a simplified way. Let's see if this is helpful for the starters.

Goal

The main goal is to use a Custom List name "Sample" and use a Content Query Web Part to show it with custom design style.

Process

1. Create a custom list with name "Sample". The should just have 3 fields.
   
   1. Title - This is the main text to be shown for the picture.
   2. Picture - This is the hyperlink column for the picture of the item.
   3. Skills - This is a simple multiple line comment for the item.
   
   
2. Go to any page. Add a web part. Drop a Content Query Web Part(CQWP) on the page from "Content Rollup".
3. Click "Open tool pane".
4. Content Query Tool Part > Query > Source > Show items from the following list: > Select "SAMPLE"
5. Content Query Tool Part > Query > Presentation > Please see the picture as a default setting. I am going to leave it as it is.
   
   
6. Click "Save" and the view of the web part will be a default text one which is going to look like picture below.
   
7. On Clicking the picture it goes to the display record screen.
   

But now moving back to our goal. We need to show the data in a custom design layout. So follow the below given steps.

1. Open a SharePoint 2010 designer.
2. All Files > Style Library > XSL Style Sheets > ItemStyle.xsl(Edit it in advance mode)
3. Find this element, copy it and paste it at the bottom of the XSL.
   

   <xsl:template name="Default" match="*" mode="itemstyle">...</xsl:template>

4. Change the name and match to Sample.
   

   <xsl:template name="Sample" match="Row[@Style='Sample']" mode="itemstyle">...</xsl:template>

5. Also if you edit the web part you can now see the item in the ItemStyle list. Make changes to map the correct fields too.
   
   
   
   
6. Make the changes to the xsl(As you want the view of the list) or can copy the whole block and paste it at the bottom of the ItemStyle.xsl.
   

   <xsl:template name="Sample" match="Row[@Style='Sample']" mode="itemstyle">
           <xsl:variable name="SafeLinkUrl">
               <xsl:call-template name="OuterTemplate.GetSafeLink">
                   <xsl:with-param name="UrlColumnName" select="'LinkUrl'"/>
               </xsl:call-template>
           </xsl:variable>
           <xsl:variable name="SafeImageUrl">
               <xsl:call-template name="OuterTemplate.GetSafeStaticUrl">
                   <xsl:with-param name="UrlColumnName" select="'ImageUrl'"/>
               </xsl:call-template>
           </xsl:variable>
           <xsl:variable name="DisplayTitle">
               <xsl:call-template name="OuterTemplate.GetTitle">
                   <xsl:with-param name="Title" select="@Title"/>
                   <xsl:with-param name="UrlColumnName" select="'LinkUrl'"/>
               </xsl:call-template>
           </xsl:variable>
           <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" border="0" style="border:1px Solid #efefef;width:400px;">
               <tr>
                   <td style="width:100px" align="center">
                       <a href="{$SafeLinkUrl}" title="{@LinkToolTip}">
                           <img class="image" src="{$SafeImageUrl}" title="{@ImageUrlAltText}" />
                       </a>
                   </td>
                   <td valign="top" align="left"><a href="{$SafeLinkUrl}" title="{@LinkToolTip}">
                     <xsl:if test="$ItemsHaveStreams = 'True'">
                       <xsl:attribute name="onclick">
                         <xsl:value-of select="@OnClickForWebRendering"/>
                       </xsl:attribute>
                     </xsl:if>
                     <xsl:if test="$ItemsHaveStreams != 'True' and @OpenInNewWindow = 'True'">
                       <xsl:attribute name="onclick">
                         <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes" select="$OnClickTargetAttribute"/>
                       </xsl:attribute>
                     </xsl:if>
                     <xsl:value-of select="$DisplayTitle"/>
                   </a><br /><xsl:value-of select="@Description" disable-output-escaping="yes" /></td>
               </tr>
           </table> 
       </xsl:template>
   

7. Once you are done with that you can see the below given view on the screen.
   
   
8. Thats it.

I have tried my best to keep this as simple as possible for freshers who are learning SharePoint.