export to csv wordpress

I need to export data in one table in a csv file. I’m able to get the data fine but the CSV file is not being generated by the browser.

My code is like this: its the problem with headers. I’m getting only the output with commas separated values but not getting csv file.

/* Converting data to CSV */

public function CSV_GENERATE($getTable)
{
    ob_clean();
    global $wpdb;
    $field='';
    $getField ='';

    if($getTable){
        $result = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT * FROM $getTable");
        $requestedTable = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM ".$getTable);
        // echo "hey";die;//var_dump($result);die;

        $fieldsCount = mysql_num_fields($requestedTable);

        for($i=0; $i<$fieldsCount; $i++){
            $field = mysql_fetch_field($requestedTable);
            $field = (object) $field;         
            $getField .= $field->name.',';
        }

        $sub = substr_replace($getField, '', -1);
        $fields = $sub; # GET FIELDS NAME
        $each_field = explode(',', $sub);
        $csv_file_name = $getTable.'_'.date('Ymd_His').'.csv'; 
        # CSV FILE NAME WILL BE table_name_yyyymmdd_hhmmss.csv

        # GET FIELDS VALUES WITH LAST COMMA EXCLUDED
        foreach($result as $row){
            for($j = 0; $j < $fieldsCount; $j++){
                if($j == 0) $fields .= "n"; # FORCE NEW LINE IF LOOP COMPLETE
                $value = str_replace(array("n", "nr", "rn", "r"), "t", $row->$each_field[$j]); # REPLACE NEW LINE WITH TAB
                $value = str_getcsv ( $value , ",", """ , ""); # SEQUENCING DATA IN CSV FORMAT, REQUIRED PHP >= 5.3.0
                $fields .= $value[0].','; # SEPARATING FIELDS WITH COMMA
            }
            $fields = substr_replace($fields, '', -1); # REMOVE EXTRA SPACE AT STRING END
        }

        header("Content-type: text/x-csv"); # DECLARING FILE TYPE
        header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
        header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=".$csv_file_name); # EXPORT GENERATED CSV FILE
        header("Pragma: no-cache");
        header("Expires: 0"); 
        header("Content-type: application/x-msdownload");
        //header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=data.csv");

        return $fields; 
    }

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5 comments

  1. This is working perfectly now. we can use this as a plugin. I modified this post. thanks to sruthi sri.

    Hope this helps some one πŸ™‚

    <?php
    
    class CSVExport
    {
    /**
    * Constructor
    */
    public function __construct()
    {
    if(isset($_GET['download_report']))
    {
    $csv = $this->generate_csv();
    
    header("Pragma: public");
    header("Expires: 0");
    header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
    header("Cache-Control: private", false);
    header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
    header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="report.csv";" );
    header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
    
    echo $csv;
    exit;
    }
    
    // Add extra menu items for admins
    add_action('admin_menu', array($this, 'admin_menu'));
    
    // Create end-points
    add_filter('query_vars', array($this, 'query_vars'));
    add_action('parse_request', array($this, 'parse_request'));
    }
    
    /**
    * Add extra menu items for admins
    */
    public function admin_menu()
    {
    add_menu_page('Download Report', 'Download Report', 'manage_options', 'download_report', array($this, 'download_report'));
    }
    
    /**
    * Allow for custom query variables
    */
    public function query_vars($query_vars)
    {
    $query_vars[] = 'download_report';
    return $query_vars;
    }
    
    /**
    * Parse the request
    */
    public function parse_request(&$wp)
    {
    if(array_key_exists('download_report', $wp->query_vars))
    {
    $this->download_report();
    exit;
    }
    }
    
    /**
    * Download report
    */
    public function download_report()
    {
    echo '<div class="wrap">';
    echo '<div id="icon-tools" class="icon32">
    </div>';
    echo '<h2>Download Report</h2>';
    //$url = site_url();
    
    echo '<p>Export the Subscribers';
    }
    
    /**
    * Converting data to CSV
    */
    public function generate_csv()
    {
    $csv_output = '';
    $table = 'users';
    
    $result = mysql_query("SHOW COLUMNS FROM ".$table."");
    
    $i = 0;
    if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) {
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
    $csv_output = $csv_output . $row['Field'].",";
    $i++;
    }
    }
    $csv_output .= "n";
    
    $values = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM ".$table."");
    while ($rowr = mysql_fetch_row($values)) {
    for ($j=0;$j<$i;$j++) {
    $csv_output .= $rowr[$j].",";
    }
    $csv_output .= "n";
    }
    
    return $csv_output;
    }
    }
    
    // Instantiate a singleton of this plugin
    $csvExport = new CSVExport();
    
  2. I’m a late bloomer, but made a small ‘improvement’ to the code you guys worked on and would like to share. If code pasted in the main plugin .php file you don’t need to go through the 3 steps. Just change the values at the bottom of the script as required. I like to keep it neat though with plenty of comments for you guys.

    For beginners who might need this and to add flexibility for everyone to use:

    1. First add global variable define('MY_PLUGIN_DIR',
      plugin_dir_path(__FILE__));
    2. After that add require_once(PARTS_MY_PLUGIN_DIR . '/databasestuff/table_to_csv.php')
    3. Under your_plugin_directory/databasestuff/table_to_csv.php save the following class and change the last few lines as required.
    4. Make adjustments to the last few lines

      class export_table_to_csv{
      
        private $db;
        private $table_name;
        private $separator;
      
      
        function __construct($table_n, $sep, $filename){
      
          global $wpdb;                                               //We gonna work with database aren't we?
          $this->db = $wpdb;                                          //Can't use global on it's own within a class so lets assign it to local object.
          $this->table_name = $table_n;                               
          $this->separator = $sep;
      
          $generatedDate = date('d-m-Y His');                         //Date will be part of file name. I dont like to see ...(23).csv downloaded
      
          $csvFile = $this->generate_csv();                           //Getting the text generated to download
          header("Pragma: public");
          header("Expires: 0");
          header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
          header("Cache-Control: private", false);                    //Forces the browser to download
          header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
          header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="" . $filename . " " . $generatedDate . ".csv";" );
          header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
      
          echo $csvFile;                                              //Whatever is echoed here will be in the csv file
          exit;
      
        }
      
      
        function generate_csv(){
      
          $csv_output = '';                                           //Assigning the variable to store all future CSV file's data
          $table = $this->db->prefix . $this->table_name;             //For flexibility of the plugin and convenience, lets get the prefix
      
          $result = $this->db->get_results("SHOW COLUMNS FROM " . $table . "");   //Displays all COLUMN NAMES under 'Field' column in records returned
      
          if (count($result) > 0) {
      
              foreach($result as $row) {
                  $csv_output = $csv_output . $row->Field . $this->separator;
              }
              $csv_output = substr($csv_output, 0, -1);               //Removing the last separator, because thats how CSVs work
      
          }
          $csv_output .= "n";
      
          $values = $this->db->get_results("SELECT * FROM " . $table . "");       //This here
      
          foreach ($values as $rowr) {
              $fields = array_values((array) $rowr);                  //Getting rid of the keys and using numeric array to get values
              $csv_output .= implode($this->separator, $fields);      //Generating string with field separator
              $csv_output .= "n";    //Yeah...
          }
      
          return $csv_output; //Back to constructor
      
        }
      }
      
      // Also include nonce check here - https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Nonces
      if(isset($_POST['processed_values']) && $_POST['processed_values'] == 'download_csv'){  //When we must do this
        $exportCSV = new export_table_to_csv('table_name',';','report');              //Make your changes on these lines
      }
      

    Keep in mind:

    1. Table prefix will be added to the table name.
    2. This script uses core WordPress functions meaning that the last 3 lines is literally all you have to change for this to work.
  3. Just making some small adjustments to @Developer since it wasn’t quite pulling up in the admin, or downloading the csv. But now it will πŸ™‚ :

    <?php
    
    /**
     * CSV Exporter bootstrap file
     *
     * This file is read by WordPress to generate the plugin information in the plugin
     * admin area. This file also includes all of the dependencies used by the plugin,
     * registers the activation and deactivation functions, and defines a function
     * that starts the plugin.
     *
     * @since             1.0.0
     * @package           CSV Export
     *
     * @wordpress-plugin
     * Plugin Name:       CSV Export
     * Plugin URI:        http://example.com/plugin-name-uri/
     * Description:       exports csvs derrr
     * Version:           1.0.0
     * Author:            Your Name or Your Company
     * Author URI:        http://example.com/
     * License:           GPL-2.0+
     * License URI:       http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
     * Text Domain:       csv-export
     * Domain Path:       /languages
     */
    class CSVExport {
    
      /**
       * Constructor
       */
      public function __construct() {
        if (isset($_GET['report'])) {
    
          $csv = $this->generate_csv();
          header("Pragma: public");
          header("Expires: 0");
          header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
          header("Cache-Control: private", false);
          header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
          header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="report.csv";");
          header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
    
          echo $csv;
          exit;
        }
    
    // Add extra menu items for admins
        add_action('admin_menu', array($this, 'admin_menu'));
    
    // Create end-points
        add_filter('query_vars', array($this, 'query_vars'));
        add_action('parse_request', array($this, 'parse_request'));
      }
    
      /**
       * Add extra menu items for admins
       */
      public function admin_menu() {
        add_menu_page('Download Report', 'Download Report', 'manage_options', 'download_report', array($this, 'download_report'));
      }
    
      /**
       * Allow for custom query variables
       */
      public function query_vars($query_vars) {
        $query_vars[] = 'download_report';
        return $query_vars;
      }
    
      /**
       * Parse the request
       */
      public function parse_request(&$wp) {
        if (array_key_exists('download_report', $wp->query_vars)) {
          $this->download_report();
          exit;
        }
      }
    
      /**
       * Download report
       */
      public function download_report() {
        echo '<div class="wrap">';
        echo '<div id="icon-tools" class="icon32">
    </div>';
        echo '<h2>Download Report</h2>';
        echo '<p><a href="?page=download_report&report=users">Export the Subscribers</a></p>';
      }
    
      /**
       * Converting data to CSV
       */
      public function generate_csv() {
        $csv_output = '';
        $table = 'wp_users';
    
        $result = mysql_query("SHOW COLUMNS FROM " . $table . "");
    
        $i = 0;
        if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) {
          while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
            $csv_output = $csv_output . $row['Field'] . ",";
            $i++;
          }
        }
        $csv_output .= "n";
    
        $values = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM " . $table . "");
        while ($rowr = mysql_fetch_row($values)) {
          for ($j = 0; $j < $i; $j++) {
            $csv_output .= $rowr[$j] . ",";
          }
          $csv_output .= "n";
        }
    
        return $csv_output;
      }
    
    }
    
    // Instantiate a singleton of this plugin
    $csvExport = new CSVExport();
    

    Just create a file called csv_export.php put it in a plugins/csv_export/ and you’re gtg!

  4. I’m not certain, but there are a few things it might be.

    Your braces don’t match – you’re missing a closing } somewhere.

    You’re not actually sending the generated content anywhere, unless you’re doing it in the calling routine? Maybe you mean echo $fields;, not return $fields;?

    You’re calling ob_clean() – do you have output buffering turned on? Perhaps you mean ob_end_clean() – to discard the buffer and turn buffering off?

    I’m creating a CSV for export; it’s working with just the following headers:

    header('Content-Type: text/csv');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . $csv_file_name . '"');
    header('Pragma: no-cache');
    header('Expires: 0');
    

    In terms of differences with your calls:

    1. you’re sending two Content-Type headers
    2. I have quotes around my filename
    3. I’m not specifying a Content-Transfer-Encoding

    I don’t know that any of those differences are related to your problem, I’m just listing them in case they help.

  5. I met the same problem. I found that the problem is not the headers code, but the link you click to export. You need to add an argument named “noheader”:

        <a href="admin.php?page=export&export=posts&noheader=1">Export</a> 
    

    I replaced my code with exactly the same headers code mentioned in this question, and it does work as well.
    My export process code looks like:

    if( isset( $_GET['export'] ) ) {
    
        $csv = generate_csv();
    
        $filename = 'results.csv';
        $now = gmdate('D, d M Y H:i:s') . ' GMT';
    
        header( 'Content-Type: application/octet-stream' ); // tells browser to download
    
        header( 'Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . $filename .'"' );
        header( 'Pragma: no-cache' ); // no cache
        header( 'Expires: ' . $now ); // expire date
    
        echo $csv;
        exit;
    }
    

    The last two headers tell the browser not to cache the exported content.