PHP database Excel export

Question

I am using a PHP script to export data from MySQL into Excel. The first row of the Excel sheet is a column heading. I want them to appear in bold. How do I do this? I am using the following code:

$con = mysql_connect("localhost","admin","password");
if (!$con)
{
    die('Could not connect to DB: \n' . mysql_error());
}

mysql_select_db("ALNMSI", $con);

$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM survey1");

$filename = "alnmsi_" . date('d-m-Y') . ".xls";

header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"$filename\"");

header("Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-excel"); $flag = false;

$flag = false;

while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result))
{
    if(!$flag)
    {
        data_keys();
        $flag = true;
    }
    array_walk($row, 'cleanData');
    data_array($row);
}

no excel does accept raw text, the excel file is being created properly now i want to introduce a bit of formatting in the excel file. i need the first row to be in bold — user434885
– user434885, Commented Jan 10, 2011 at 6:59
i am not using a library, the headers i am using informs the browser that instead of the output being displayed on the web page it shgould be downloaded into and .xls file — user434885
– user434885, Commented Jan 10, 2011 at 7:06

Twister · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-10 08:06:05Z

4

You should use a library to generate Excel files.

PHPExcel : http://phpexcel.codeplex.com/
Spreadsheet_Excel_Writer : http://pear.php.net/manual/en/package.fileformats.spreadsheet-excel-writer.intro.php

answered Jan 10, 2011 at 8:06

Twister

7244 silver badges9 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

user434885 Over a year ago

the pear excel writer appears to only work upto excel5.0 not 7.0.

user434885 Over a year ago

also i dont want to introduce such completixity into my code so as to use PHPExcel classes. Is there no other way i can use the html bold and underline tags to do this ?

Twister Over a year ago

I think you will add more complexity trying to avoid such librairies. If you are building new files I do not see the problem. Excel 7 is able to open excel 5 files.

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:26:56Z

3

I'm assuming you are doing it wrong. Whatever you output it's probably not a valid Excel file, since you didn't mention BIFF (this is the binary format which Excel files would be made of).

If you output TAB or COMMA separated values, then Excel only accidentially opens it correctly. And there is no way to style headers.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

PHP database Excel export

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related