Trying to create a csv file from a table using php

Jemm · 29-10-2011 03:18PM #1

Hi there,

I am trying to allow users download a csv file from my website. This is as far as I have got with the code but it just opens a blank page and doesn't download anything.

Any advice?
[PHP]

<?php
require_once (MYSQL);
require_once ('mysqli_connect.php');
$q="SELECT * FROM table_name";$r = @mysqli_query($dbc, $q);
$html = "<table>";$html .= "<tr><td>Song</td>";
$html .= "</tr>";
while ($row = mysqli_fetch_array($r, MYSQLI_ASSOC)) {
$html .= "<tr><td>".$row."</td>";
$html .= "</tr>";}$html .= "</table>";
header("Content-Type: text/csv");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment;filename=yourfile.csv");
echo $html;
?>[/PHP]

komodosp · 29-10-2011 05:54PM

Not sure but my first guess might be that a CSV file is a comma delimited file, whereas you seem to be sending a html table...

In any case, in PHP a blank page often means a syntax error or something if the error reporting is turned off. Have you tried putting this code at the top of your program:

display_errors(1);
error_reporting(E_ALL);

Actually I have just noticed that before you open your <?php there's a blank line and then a space - is this in your program too or did it just happen when copying and pasting? - this would cause an error as your headers have already been sent by the time you get to

header("Content-Type: text/csv");

- If you're going to use the header() function, <?php must be the very first thing in your program, and no output sent before you use header()..

duffman85 · 29-10-2011 06:00PM

you're telling the browser that a text file is coming but sending html

would you not be better creating a file on the server and storing the results of the query in it. then send the file to the browser.

have a look at the functions here: http://www.php.net/manual/en/book.filesystem.php

Jemm · 29-10-2011 09:29PM

Thanks for the replies but I've managed to fix it in the meantime

daymobrew · 29-10-2011 11:32PM

For the benefit of others can you post here to describe how you fixed it.

Trying to create a csv file from a table using php

Comments