Problems with putcsv and force-download

Question

I am trying to create a csv file upon a button click. The problem i have is that the file wont download, it just echos out the content.

This is my code

class csv_writer {

public $dataArray;
public $filename;
public $csvHeader;


public function create_csv() {
/**
* 
* Creates the CSV and make it ready for download
*/

    $fp = fopen('php://output', 'w');
    fprintf($fp, chr(0xEF).chr(0xBB).chr(0xBF) );

    fputcsv($fp, $this->csvHeader, ';',' ');

    foreach ( $this->dataArray as $ferow ) {

        fputcsv($fp, $ferow,';');

    }

    header('Content-Encoding: UTF-8');
    header('Content-type: text/csv; charset=UTF-8');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$this->filename.'.csv"');

    fclose($fp);} } 

This is how i call the class:

$csv = new csv_writer();
$csv->dataArray = array( 'value1', 'value2' );
$csv->filename  = 'test';
$csv->csvHeader = array( 'value1', 'value2' );

$csv->create_csv();

I have tried every other exmaple here on stack, but with no luck! Hopefully there is a bright mind out there that can help me out!

Answer 1

You haven't produced any content, only the filename.

Here follows a codesnippet I wrote some time ago.

It is up to you to create the output.

In short: FIRST set the headers (including the filenamesuggestion).

Then the content.

$filenameSuggestion = "database_export_".date("d")."-".date("F")."-".date("Y").".sql";

header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"".$filenameSuggestion."\"");
header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must-revalidate"); // HTTP/1.1
header("Expires: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT"); // Date in the past
// Create content HERE, so you need to echo something or create output another way
// .....

exit;

I hope this helps you going.