How to export/download a cvs file?

Targets Web
#1

Hello all.

I need to write an export function that will create a .csv file and place it on the users PC. Creating the data is not a problem, but how to write it to a file (maybe the downloads folder on a Windows machine - not sure the equivalent on a MAC or Linux machine).

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thank you,
Tim

#2

I wrote a simple csv file editing app for the Just Code Challenge last year. The project is here:
http://electronbunker.ca/XojoProjects/Week5_CSV_Editor.zip
Have a look at the SaveFile, and OutputCSV routines.

Edit: Sorry, I just noticed that you’re dealing with a web application. I don’t know whether this would be of any use.

#3

Thanks for the effort Robert!
I’ll have a look but I am 99.9% sure that web is a different animal…

Tim

#4

WebFile
.forcedownload = true
Then showURL

check out the video here, from about 7 minutes in…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbamS7wujKE

#5

Here are the functions you search:

Recordset from Database to CSV:

Public Function RStoCSV(Data as RecordSet, Optional Delemiter as String = ";") as String
  dim CSV() as String
  
  'Header
  dim head() as string
  for i as integer = 1 to data.FieldCount 
    head.Append(data.IdxField(i).Name )
  next i
  CSV.Append(Join(head, Delemiter))
  
  'content
  While Not data.EOF
    dim row() as string
    for i as Integer = 1 to data.FieldCount 
      dim inhalt as string = data.IdxField(i).StringValue.DefineEncoding(Encodings.UTF8)         
      inhalt = ReplaceAll(inhalt, chr(10), " | ")           
      inhalt = ReplaceAll(inhalt, chr(13), "")                  
      inhalt = ReplaceAll(inhalt, chr(9), " ")             
      inhalt = ReplaceAll(inhalt, Delemiter, " ")    
      inhalt = ReplaceAll(inhalt, """", "\""")
      row.Append(inhalt)
    next i
    CSV.Append(Join(row, Delemiter))
    
    data.MoveNext
  Wend
  
  data.MoveFirst
  
  dim outp as string = Join(CSV, EndOfLine)
  outp = ReplaceAll(outp, chr(10), "")
  outp = ReplaceAll(outp, EndOfLine, "")
  
  return Join(CSV, EndOfLine)
End Function

Download the File:

  1. place a property into the app object:
    Public Property TextFile as WebFile

  2. then add this function to the app object as well:

Public Sub DownloadFile(Content as String, Filename as string, optional Format as string = "csv", optional enc as string = "utf8")
  TextFile = New WebFile // TextFile is a property of the web page
  TextFile.MimeType = "text/plain"
  TextFile.ForceDownload = True // If False, the browser may try to display the file instead of download it
  TextFile.FileName = Filename + "." + Format
  
  TextFile.Data = ConvertEncoding(Content, Encodings.UTF8) 
  
  // use different coding if wanted
  if enc = "ascii" then TextFile.Data = ConvertEncoding(Content, Encodings.ASCII) 
  if enc = "ansi" and Session.Platform = WebSession.PlatformType.Windows then TextFile.Data = ConvertEncoding(Content, Encodings.WindowsANSI) 
  
  webpage1.ShowURL(TextFile.URL) // This causes the file to be downloaded
End Sub
#6

To download the file after you’ve generated the CSV, put the data in a WebFile and then use ShowURL to begin the download.

Edit: I see Jeff beat me to it!

#7

It’s the way to be :slight_smile:

#8