CSV to Download

Question

My HTML:

<h2>Download Example CSV - IN DEVELOPMENT (not working yet)</h2><br />
<form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input type="submit" name="example-csv" value="Download Example" />
</form>

My PHP:

function array_to_csv_download($array, $filename = "example.csv", $delimiter=",") {
    header('Content-Type: application/csv');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$filename.'";');

    // open the "output" stream
    // see http://www.php.net/manual/en/wrappers.php.php#refsect2-wrappers.php-unknown-unknown-unknown-descriptioq
    $f = fopen('php://output', 'w');

    foreach ($array as $line) {
        fputcsv($f, $line, $delimiter);
    }
    fclose($f);
}

if(isset($_POST['example-csv'])) {
    $data = array (
                array('column_1', 'column_2', 'column_3'),
                array('test 1', 'test 2', 'test 3',)
    );
    array_to_csv_download($data);
}

What Happens:

When I click the Download Example submit button it gives me a file, example.csv. This file is pretty much all code for the current page I am on including all javascript, HTML, and anything else sent to the browser.

I can ctrl+F find the actual data I want in the mess.

My Question:

Why am I getting all the code for the page instead of just the simple CSV I am looking for?

Resources used to get to the point I am at:

How to create and download a csv file from php script?

Calling a particular PHP function on form submit

Final Notes:

I adapted the resources above to my needs, but can't seem to get what I am looking for. I hope this is detailed enough. Please ask for clarification if needed.

Thanks.

If you're calling the same page with your form, won't your code already have output all the stylesheets and HTML before it even gets to your PHP code? — andrewsi, Feb 28 '16 at 23:02

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 28 '16 at 23:05

0

The Problem is simply that you have to add an exit or die after the fclose then the html-code will not served after the file-data.

answered Feb 28 '16 at 23:05

SebTM

370
1
10

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 28 '16 at 23:53

I am not sure what you file structure is, but this is how it should be

Your HTML file:

<h2>Download Example CSV - IN DEVELOPMENT (not working yet)</h2><br />
<form method="post" action="ServeFile.php" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input type="submit" name="example-csv" value="Download Example" />
</form>

PHP file ServerFile.php: It is the file PHP you put above, just make sure no spaces nothing before <?php and at the end.. (simply omit php closing tag ?> )

Since you are sending headers (header(..)) no output, even a space, should be sent before headers are sent, thus this file has to be a separate PHP file.

CSV to Download

2 Answers2