DataForm and DataView WebParts cannot display data from other site when on SitePage

DataFormWebPart is a powerful webpart to query and render data from SharePoint content sources on pages in the website. In our scenario we intend to utilize it to conditionaly display reusable content on pages. For the reusable aspect we use the standard SharePoint ‘ReusableContent’ capability. For the conditional part, we aimed to utilize the DataFormWebPart, and via ParameterBinding + Query direct it to retrieve specific ‘ReusableContent’ listitem based on a querystring parameter-value.

The ‘ReusableContent’ list is located on rootweb of the sitecollection. A mature website typically consists of a hierarchy of subsites within the sitecollection. To display through DFWP ‘reusablecontent’ in a subsite it is necessary to set it’s WebUrl parameter to ‘{sitecollectionroot}’.

To check the correct behaviour (reusable + conditional) I used SharePoint Designer to create a page in the website, add the preconfigured DFWP to it, and validate the effect in browser. It turned out that it works (reusable + conditional) when the page is created in the rootweb, but for subsites the DFWP gives an error when opening the page in browser (ULS: List Not Found). Strangely in SPD the DFWP on page in subsite can connect to the list in the rootweb, and you do not experience any problem. I was rather puzzled by this, moreover because I followed the exact directions of posts that instructed this is the way to enable DFWP on pages in subsites. Just when I was about to submit a support call to Microsoft, I decided as last attempt to create a Publishing Page (thus in browser, not possible via SPD), and add the preconfigured DFWP. And guess what; then it works!

As our scenario concerns external facing and thus publishing websites, this is sufficient. Just be aware that you cannot use the DFWP on SitePage to connect to SPList in another site.