write utf-8 characters to file with fputcsv in php

Question

I want to try write Persian character in CSV file in PHP, I am using fputcsv function but how can write UTF-8 character to CSV file with fputcsv?

Part of my code:

$df = fopen($filepath, 'w');
fputcsv($df, array($coupon->code, $discount->label));

Solution 1

Try this:

$df = fopen($filepath, 'w');
fprintf($df, chr(0xEF).chr(0xBB).chr(0xBF));
fputcsv($df, array($coupon->code, $discount->label));

the line fprintf($df, chr(0xEF).chr(0xBB).chr(0xBF)); writes file header for correct encoding.

Solution 2

Try this also:

$df = fopen($filepath, 'w');
$array = array($coupon->code, $discount->label);
$array = array_map("utf8_decode", $array);
fputcsv($df, $array);

Solution 3

If you want make a UTF-8 file for excel, use this simple solution:

$fp = fopen($filename, 'w');

//add BOM to fix UTF-8 in Excel 
fputs($fp, $bom =( chr(0xEF) . chr(0xBB) . chr(0xBF) ));

See the original answer here on the official PHP page.

Comments

[mwfearnley]

What does this answer do?

[Solrac]

This will decode your UTF8 strings into single byte ISO-8859-1. This NOT what the OP was asking for.

[Faris Rayhan]

You also have to take consideration in excel perspective. Make sure the excel already encoded in UTF-8

[Phuong]

Good solution. Thanks Hardy!

[Chinmay235]

@FarisRayhan Same things here.. :(

[Ahmad Baktash Hayeri]

Could you please explain what the three characters are and what is their purpose in fixing the UTF8 problem?

[Herbert Van-Vliet]

@AhmadBaktashHayeri those bytes make up the Byte Order mark (BOM) for UTF-8

[Ali]

My hero, saved my day :-*

[Ross]

This is clearer in my opinion and leaves the work to be done by utf8_decode and not requiring the reader to obey the BOM.

[rutex]

This works great but in my case it makes some fields not to be printed to the excel file. Any idea why is that?