How to Send Excel Files for Download Without Saving Them to Server Using PHPExcel?

Saving and Downloading Excel Files Using PHPExcel

In PHPExcel, creating and exporting Excel files can be simplified. However, what if you want to send the created Excel file directly to the client's download without saving it to your server?

Solution: Using PHP Output Buffering

To avoid saving the Excel file locally, you can utilize PHP's output buffering functionality. Here's how you can do it:

1. Create the Excel File: Create your Excel file as usual using PHPExcel's methods.

2. Configure Headers: Before saving the file, configure appropriate headers to inform the browser about the file type and name:

   <code class="php">// Content type for Excel
   header('Content-type: application/vnd.ms-excel');
   
   // File name
   header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="downloaded_excel.xls"');</code>

3. Save to Output Buffer: Instead of saving to a file, save the Excel file to the PHP output buffer:

   <code class="php">$objWriter = PHPExcel_IOFactory::createWriter($objXLS, 'Excel5');
   $objWriter->save('php://output');</code>

4. Send to Client: The Excel file is now streamed to the client's browser for download, bypassing the need for local storage on your server.
5. Additional Considerations: Note that you should set the appropriate permissions to allow downloading on your web server.

Using this method, you can effectively send Excel files to clients for download without cluttering your server with temporary files.

The above is the detailed content of How to Send Excel Files for Download Without Saving Them to Server Using PHPExcel?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!