Rails - Mar 2006 - Returning CSV data to the client

Hi,

One of my apps has to export data for the backend system to process it. 
What''s the best way to create a CSV file in Rails and then return it as
a file to the client? i.e when they go to the link /csv/get_data  it 
would return a csv file.

I''ve been messing with the CSV library and I can get it to write out to
a file, but not sure how to best use this in a web app.

Hope someone can help... :)

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

On Mar 23, 2006, at 12:48, Pete wrote:
> One of my apps has to export data for the backend system to process  
> it.
> What''s the best way to create a CSV file in Rails and then return
> it as
> a file to the client? i.e when they go to the link /csv/get_data  it
> would return a csv file.
>
> I''ve been messing with the CSV library and I can get it to write  
> out to
> a file, but not sure how to best use this in a web app.
For me it''s easier not to generate a file on disk, and work only in  
memory. This way I don''t have to worry about where to save the  
temporary file, and then when to remove it.

If that makes sense in your application, to generate a CSV in-memory  
you can do this:

   def get_data
     report = StringIO.new
     CSV::Writer.generate(report, '','') do |csv|
       # csv << row for each row
     end
     report.rewind
     send_data(report.read, :type => ''application/csv;  
charset=iso-8859-1'', :filename => ''my_data.csv'')
   end

-- fxn

Perfect!

Thank you :)

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Hi !

2006/3/23, Pete <miggyx@peteslan.net>:
> I''ve been messing with the CSV library and I can get it to write
out to
> a file, but not sure how to best use this in a web app.
There are two ways to do it.  You can do as Xavier said and use the
send_data trick, or just make your RHTML file look like CSV.

I posted about both methods on my blog:
http://blog.teksol.info/articles/2006/03/23/returning-csv-data-to-the-browser

Hope that helps !
--
Fran?ois Beausoleil
http://blog.teksol.info/