Rails exporting to Excel first renders in browser, on F5 presents download to user

Question

I am making a survey app, and I need to export the data to Excel. I added a .xls mime-type and I have a view called results.xls.slim that contains an html table.

My controller looks like this:

 # GET /survey_groups/1/results
  def results
    @survey_group = get_survey_group
    @survey = @survey_group.survey
    @questions = @survey.questions
    @members = @survey_group.members

    organisation = @survey_group.organisation

    respond_to do |format|
      # http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11627291/rails-excel-mime-type-how-to-change-default-filename
      format.xls { headers['Content-Disposition'] = "attachment; filename=\"#{ organisation.name } - Survey Group Results\""  }
    end
  end

The problem when I click on the link to export to Excel

= link_to('Excel', survey_results_path(@organisation.id, @survey_group.id, format: 'xls'))

the results first render in the browser (see the screenshot below). Only when I F5 do I get the downloadable file as expected.

enter image description here

In case anyone is wondering, Excel does render basic html and somehow converts it so you can still use formulas etc (which makes for very convenient exporting of tabular data with no interop libraries needed etc.).

I only want the results to be downloaded, not rendered in the browser.

Please use the send_file method in your controller see this link http://apidock.com/rails/ActionController/Streaming/send_file — Kiran Kumara, Aug 30 '13 at 10:44
@KiranKumara how do I use send_file with my scenario. The view first needs to render? — Lee, Aug 30 '13 at 11:58

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 02 '13 at 10:35

0

OK, the problem is that I am using jQuery Pjax and needed to disable PJax for the export to Excel link.

answered Sep 02 '13 at 10:35

Lee

8,354
14
55
90

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 30 '13 at 12:16

-1

Please Follow this railscast link

and try.

I hope this will helps

answered Aug 30 '13 at 12:16

Kiran Kumara

164
5

Answers should contain all relevant example code and explanations, not just link to another site. – rudolph9 Aug 30 '13 at 12:19

Rails exporting to Excel first renders in browser, on F5 presents download to user

2 Answers2