Creating a CSV file 1

[jimoblak]

Is it possible to create a CSV file in the browser so that when someone clicks on a link to get the file (a PHP page pulling from a MySQL database), the file will be sent as a plain comma delimited text file with a .CSV extension instead of a .PHP extension?

Creating the comma separated file is no problem. I would just like to know how to make the server send it with a .CSV extension so that it can be saved instantly on my users' computer for use later in MS Excel.

 

[sleipnir214]

You didn't specify what web server you were on, so I'll assume Apache -- I have a solution for that server.

Use mod_rewrite.

Assume you have a directory called data_out. Add these two configuration directives to your virtual server configuration:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^/data_out/data.csv$ /data_out/csvout.php

Any time you attemp to pull up data.csv, Apache will run the PHP script csvout.php.

Make sure that csvout.php modifies the "Content-type" header to match whatever a .csv file is. I used "text/plain", but there may be a canonical content-type. ______________________________________________________________________
TANSTAAFL!

 

[KarveR]

sleipnir214 you are (and have just recieved) a star.

I was mid writing the same thing for my work when you posted.

Easy innit, thats half a day off ______________________________________________________________________
There's no present like the time, they say. - Henry's Cat.