MySQL -> PHP -> MS Excel?

> Jerry Stuckle wrote:
>> sheldonlg wrote:
>>> Jerry Stuckle wrote:
>>>> sheldonlg wrote:
>>>>> sheldonlg wrote:
>>>>>> me wrote:
>>>>>>> I need to get some data from a MySQL database into an Excel
>>>>>>> Spreadsheet, potentially using PHP.
>>>>>>> What's available in PHP to help me with writing the MS-Excel
>>>>>>> file? Thanks,
>>>>>> I have an excel class that I downloaded from somewhere and
>>>>>> modified to my own tastes. It is limited to being able to put up
>>>>>> only one block of data, with a header row and a title row. If you
>>>>>> email me at
>>>>>> sheldon AT slgdev DOT com
>>>>>> I will send it to you. When run, it asks the user whether they
>>>>>> want to open or save the Excel file (so long as they don't have
>>>>>> browser settings set to open in html -- the IE default).
>>>>> Here it is:
>>>>> <?php
>>>>> class ExportToExcel
>>>>> {
>>>>> var $body = '';
>>>>> function setHeader($excel_file_name) {
>>>>> header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
>>>>> header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' .
>>>>> $excel_file_name . '"');
>>>>> header("Pragma: no-cache");
>>>>> header("Expires: 0");
>>>>> }
>>>>> function export2DArray($arr, $excel_file_name, $title) {
>>>>> $header = "<center><table border=1px>" . $title . "</th>";
>>>>> foreach ($arr as $row) {
>>>>> $body .= "<tr>";
>>>>> foreach ($row as $column) {
>>>>> $body .= "<td>" . $column . "</td>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> $body .= "</tr>"; }
>>>>> $this->setHeader($excel_file_name);
>>>>> echo $header . $body . "</table>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> function addArray($arr) {
>>>>> foreach ($arr as $row) {
>>>>> $this->body .= "<tr>";
>>>>> foreach ($row as $column) {
>>>>> $this->body .= "<td>" . $column . "</td>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> $this->body .= "</tr>"; }
>>>>> }
>>>>> function addTitle($title) {
>>>>> $this->body .= '<center><table border=1px><caption><h4>' .
>>>>> $title .
>>>>> "</h4></caption>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> function addColumnHeading($arr) {
>>>>> $this->body .= '<tr>';
>>>>> foreach ($arr as $column) {
>>>>> $this->body .= '<th>' . $column . "</th>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> $this->body .= "</tr>"; }
>>>>> function closeTable() {
>>>>> $this->body .= "</table>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> function sendArray($excel_file_name) {
>>>>> $this->setHeader($excel_file_name);
>>>>> $this->closeTable();
>>>>> echo $header . $this->body;
>>>>> }
>>>>> function addLines($num) {
>>>>> $this->body .= '<table>';
>>>>> for ($i=0; $i<$num; $i++) {
>>>>> $this->body .= "<tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>";
>>>>> }
>>>>> $this->body .= '</table>';
>>>>> }
>>>>> }
>>>>> I use it as follows:
>>>>> $list = 2-d array that I want to write;
>>>>> $excel = new ExportToExcel();
>>>>> $excel->addTitle('Whatever title');
>>>>> $columns = array(comma separated list of headings);
>>>>> $excel->addColumnHeading($columns);
>>>>> $excel->addArray($list);
>>>>> $excel->sendArray(suggested name of the file.xls);
>>>> Sheldon,
>>>> Unfortunately, that doesn't actually create an Excel file - it
>>>> creates an HTML file and calls it an Excel file.
>>>> There isn't anything wrong with that if the client wants to export
>>>> it - but the op indicated his client specifically wants a native
>>>> Excel format program.
>>> While technically true, I suspect what the OP **really** wanted was
>>> for the end user to click a button and have it open up as a file that
>>> can be used in an Excel program and be saved to disk. The actual
>>> coding inside would be immaterial -- just so long as it appears to
>>> the end user as an Excel file and could be opened from his hard drive
>>> using Excel after he saved it there. After all, here is what he wrote:
>>> "I need to get some data from a MySQL database into an Excel
>>> Spreadsheet, potentially using PHP."
>>> What I gave him does exactly that, albeit not in native Excel coding.
>> (in response to Luuk's suggestion to use a csv file)
>> "That was my preferred choice too, but the customer wants it directly
>> in MS-Excel format - they don't want to have to do an import of any
>> sort."
>
> ....and as **I** said, the file opens directly as an Excel file. There
> is no import with my method. To all intents and purposes, it **is** an
> MS-Excel file. It is just that behind the scenes it is not native Excel
> coding. It still is a **real** Excel file (as far as the user is
> concerned). All he has to do if he is using Internet Explorer is to
> make sure his setting is NOT to open an Excel file, ANY Excel file
> native coding or not, as an html file (which is their default setting).

> I need to get some data from a MySQL database into an Excel
> Spreadsheet, potentially using PHP.

> I need to get some data from a MySQL database into an Excel
> Spreadsheet, potentially using PHP.
>
> What's available in PHP to help me with writing the MS-Excel file?
>
> Thanks,
>

to do this in php. I have tried to do php->xls ( pure xls ) stuff

> me wrote:
>> I need to get some data from a MySQL database into an Excel
>> Spreadsheet, potentially using PHP.
>> What's available in PHP to help me with writing the MS-Excel file?
>> Thanks,

>
> If that is not good for you ,then perhaps you need to look at a
> different platform.
>
> I hate myself for even thinking this, think about using C# or some-other
> Microsoft programming languages they can connect to a mysql db and its

> trookat wrote:
>> me wrote:
>>> I need to get some data from a MySQL database into an Excel
>>> Spreadsheet, potentially using PHP.
>>> What's available in PHP to help me with writing the MS-Excel file?
>>> Thanks,
>
>> If that is not good for you ,then perhaps you need to look at a
>> different platform.
>> I hate myself for even thinking this, think about using C# or some-other
>> Microsoft programming languages they can connect to a mysql db and its
>
>
> Yikes, no need to join the dark side! Both Perl and Python are pretty
> handy with the ole XLS format too...
>
> http://pypi.python.org/pypi/xlwt
>
> http://homepage.eircom.net/~jmcnamara/perl/WriteExcel.html
>
> There are ways of using both Perl and Python from PHP so you needn't
> switch platforms to use them.
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> Roger.