PHPExcel Force Download Issue

Question

I know this might have been asked in several pieces, but I could not find an exact answer to the issue. I am using PHPExcel to generate an Excel file (obviously), and the code works to generate the file, but not when I include the code for Force Download, it corrupts the file. My latest version of the script looks like this:

function make_xls_spreadsheet(){

/** Error reporting */
error_reporting(E_ALL);

/* Set the save path */
define('XLSX_SAVE_PATH', 'tmp/');

/** Include path **/
set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . 'Classes/');

/** PHPExcel */
include 'PHPExcel.php';

/** PHPExcel_Writer_Excel2007 */
include 'PHPExcel/Writer/Excel2007.php';


/* Create a new PHPExcel Object */
$objPHPExcel = new PHPExcel();


/* Add some metadata to the file */
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setCreator("Maarten Balliauw");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setLastModifiedBy("Maarten Balliauw");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setTitle("Office 2007 XLSX Test Document");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setSubject("Office 2007 XLSX Test Document");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setDescription("Test document for Office 2007 XLSX, generated using PHP classes.");

/* Set active worksheet to first */
$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndex(0);
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->setTitle('Segments');

/* Add some data to the worksheet */
$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndex(0);
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('A1', 'Hello');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('B2', 'world!');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('C1', 'Hello');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('D2', 'world!');


/* Write to server */
$objWriter = new PHPExcel_Writer_Excel2007($objPHPExcel);

$filename = "tony1.xlsx";

// Works fine up to here

header('Content-Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment;filename="'.$filename.'"');
header('Cache-Control: max-age=0');

$objWriter = PHPExcel_IOFactory::createWriter($objPHPExcel, 'Excel2007');
//$objWriter->save('php://output');
$objWriter->save(XLSX_SAVE_PATH . $filename);
readfile(XLSX_SAVE_PATH . $filename);


echo "DONE!";

$objPHPExcel->disconnectWorksheets();
unset($objPHPExcel);



}

Remember, when I remove the force code section, the file generates and I can FTP it down fine. However, doing both generating and forcing the file gives me a corrupt file. Normally I can click "Open & Repair" (Office2011 MacOSX) but obviously this is not desirable.

Could someone please help me understand:

1. Why it is being generated as corrupt? And why it works fine when I don't force download.
2. What the proper order for saving/forcing is (using PHP's header() function)
3. If there is a better way of doing this.

Much appreciated!!

**** Update **** Here is the code when I click "Fix & Repair":

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<recoveryLog xmlns="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main">
    <logFileName>Repair Result to tony1 03178.xml</logFileName>
    <summary>Errors were detected in file 'Macintosh HD:Users:tony.diloreto:Downloads:tony1.xlsx'</summary>
    <additionalInfo><info>Excel completed file level validation and repair. Some parts of this workbook may have been repaired or discarded.</info></additionalInfo>
</recoveryLog>

Answer 1

// answer actually belongs to @Dagon

The answer is actually straightforward, only needing a simple exit(); call.

Final code block:

function make_xls_spreadsheet(){

/** Include path **/
set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . 'Classes/');

/** PHPExcel */
include 'PHPExcel.php';

/** PHPExcel_Writer_Excel2007 */
include 'PHPExcel/Writer/Excel2007.php';


/* Create a new PHPExcel Object */
$objPHPExcel = new PHPExcel();

/** Determine filename **/
$filename = "tony1.xlsx";

/** Set header information **/
header('Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-excel');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment;filename="' . $filename . '"');
header('Cache-Control: max-age=0');


/* Add some metadata to the file */
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setCreator("Maarten Balliauw");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setLastModifiedBy("Maarten Balliauw");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setTitle("Office 2007 XLSX Test Document");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setSubject("Office 2007 XLSX Test Document");
$objPHPExcel->getProperties()->setDescription("Test document for Office 2007 XLSX, generated using PHP classes.");

/* Set active worksheet to first */
$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndex(0);
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->setTitle('Segments');

/* Add some data to the worksheet */
$objPHPExcel->setActiveSheetIndex(0);
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('A1', 'Hello');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('B2', 'world!');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('C1', 'Hello');
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->SetCellValue('D2', 'world!');


header('Content-Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment;filename="'.$filename.'"');
header('Cache-Control: max-age=0');

$objWriter = PHPExcel_IOFactory::createWriter($objPHPExcel, 'Excel2007');
$objWriter->save('php://output');

exit();

}

Answer 2

This spits out the excel file to the browser:

readfile(XLSX_SAVE_PATH . $filename);  

and then you spit this out, which becomes PART of the excel file as downloaded by the browser

echo "DONE!";

essentially you're sending

[excel data]DONE!

when Excel is expecting only

[excel data]

Answer 3

Try to modify File.php like this :

protected static $_useUploadTempDirectory = TRUE;

in folder phpexcel/Classes/PHPExcel/Shared (it's not the best way but it worked for me).