Export HTML Table to Excel

Question

I have HTML table on the ASP.NET MVC View page. Now I have to export this table to Excel.

(1) I have used partial view (Inquiries.ascx) to display the table data from database (using LINQ to Entity) (2) I also have used UITableFilter plugin to filter the records (Ex: http://gregweber.info/projects/demo/flavorzoom.html )

(3) At any point of time, I have to filter the visible records to Excel.

Appreciate your responses.

Thanks

Rita

Here is my View:

<%@ Page Title="" Language="C#" MasterPageFile="~/Views/Shared/Mvc.Master" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage" %>


<asp:Content ID="Content2" ContentPlaceHolderID="cphHead" runat="server">
<script src="../../Scripts/jquery.tablesorter.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
     <script src="../../Scripts/jquery.uitablefilter.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

<script type="text/javascript">
 //Load Partial View
$('#MyInquiries').load('/Home/Inquiries');

// To Apply Filter Expression using uiTableFilter plugin
            $("#searchName").keyup(function() {
                $.uiTableFilter($("#tblRefRequests"), this.value);
                $("#tblRefRequests").tablesorter({ widthFixed: true, widgets: ['zebra'] });
            });


//Export the HTML table contents to Excel
      $('#export').click(function() {
//Code goes here

});
</script>
</asp:Content>

//Main Content
<asp:Content ID="Content1" ContentPlaceHolderID="cphContent" runat="server">
<h2 class="pageName">View All Inquiries</h2>
<input type="submit" value="Export to Excel" id="export" />
<div id='MyInquiries'></div>
</asp:Content>

Strongly Typed Partial view user control (Inquiries.ascx) to generate table:

<table>
    <tr><td valign ="middle">Filter Expression: <%= Html.TextBox("searchName")%></td></tr>
    </table>
    <table id="tblRefRequests" >
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Tx_ID</th>
            <th>TX Date</th>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Email Address </th>
            <th>Products</th>
            <th>Document Name</th>
        </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
    <% foreach (var item in Model) { %>
        <tr>
            <td visible =false><%= item.RequestID %></td>
            <td><%= String.Format("{0:d}", item.RequestDate) %></td>
            <td><%= item.CustomerName %></td>
            <td><%= Html.Encode(item.Email) %></td>
            <td><%= item.ProductName %></td>
            <td><%= Html.Encode(item.DocDescription)%></td>
        </tr>
    <% } %>
</tbody>
    </table>

Here is my Controller code to load the Inquiries partial view:

[HttpGet]
        public PartialViewResult Inquiries()
        {
var model = from i in myEntity.Inquiries
  where i.User_Id == 5
                        orderby i.TX_Id descending
                        select new {
                            RequestID = i.TX_Id,
                            CustomerName = i.CustomerMaster.FirstName,
                            RequestDate = i.RequestDate,
                            Email = i.CustomerMaster.MS_Id,
                            DocDescription = i.Document.Description,
                            ProductName = i.Product.Name
                        };
            return PartialView(model);
        }

Solution

Try the jQuery plugin: table2csv. Use the argument, delivery:'value', to return the csv as a string.

Here is an implementation:

1. Add a regular html input button and a .NET HiddenField to the page
2. Add an onclick event to that button called "Export"
3. Create a javascript function, Export, that stores the return value of table2CSV() into the hidden field, and posts back.
4. The server receives the hiddenfield post data (the csv as a string)
5. The server outputs the string to the browser as a csv file

.

// javascript  
function Export()  
{    
    $('#yourHiddenFieldId').val() = $('#yourTable').table2CSV({delivery:'value'});  
    __doPostBack('#yourExportBtnId', '');  
}

// c#  
if(Page.IsPostBack)  
{
    if(!String.IsNullOrEmpty(Request.Form[yourHiddenField.UniqueId]))  
    {  
        Response.Clear();  
        Response.ContentType = "text/csv";  
        Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=TheReport.csv");  
        Response.Flush();  
        Response.Write(Request.Form[yourHiddenField.UniqueID]);  
        Response.End();  
    }  
}

Comments

[Rita]

I tried. It is coming as a string in a new window. But i want that in Excel File.

[Bill Paetzke]

I added example code. Check it out. And I don't know how set you are on exporting Excel. That's a whole other beast. I suggest exporting CSV. It's much easier, faster, and more lightweight and elegant to export a CSV file vs an Excel file. You can bill it as "CSV for Excel." That's what I do.