Create downloadable CSV from web search using PHP and mySQL

Question

I am trying to create a CSV file that can be downloaded by the user and not have the data permanently saved on the server.

I am using mySQL and PHP for this page. I get the data in the right format to show up ("echo") on the webpage but not able to get the file to generate/download...maybe I am missing something or looking in the wrong place but any help would be great!

I have been trying several script both my own and others I have found but the one I currently have is below:

$file = 'export';
$colresult = mysql_query("SHOW COLUMNS FROM ".$tbl_name.""); 

if (mysql_num_rows($colresult) > 0) {  
while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($colresult)){   
$csv_output .= $row['Field'].", ";   $i++;  } } $csv_output .= "\n";   

$csvresult = mysql_query($sql); 

while ($rowr = mysql_fetch_row($csvresult)) {  
for ($j=0;$j<$i;$j++) {   $csv_output .= $rowr[$j].", ";  
}  

$csv_output .= "\n"; }   
$filename = $file."_".date("Y-m-d_H-i",time()).".csv"; 
header("Content-type: application/csv"); 
header("Content-disposition: attachment;filename=".$filename.".csv"); 
readfile("../documents/csv/".$filename.".csv");

$fp = fopen($filename, 'w');
foreach($csvret as $csvret){
fputcsv($fp, $csvret);
}

print $csv_output; 
print $filename;

Thanks!

you should consider what would happen if your data contains commas — Waygood
– Waygood, Commented Mar 19, 2013 at 16:50
That been cleaned on the table side. Mainly want to get the file to create and will troubleshoot from there. — Cal37
– Cal37, Commented Mar 19, 2013 at 17:49
Then you may find implode(',' $record); and implode(',', array_keys($record)); useful with mysql_fetch_assoc(); — Waygood
– Waygood, Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 9:15

Joshua Burns · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-19 16:45:56Z

2

You'll need to pass some headers to force the web browser to recognize the file as "downloadable":

<?php

header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
header("Content-Type: application/csv"); 
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.basename($filename).'"');
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
header('Connection: Keep-Alive');
header('Expires: 0');
header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0');
header('Pragma: public');
header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($filename));

readfile($filename);
exit;

Simply add that code in place of:

print $csv_output; 
print $filename;

answered Mar 19, 2013 at 16:45

Joshua Burns

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