Rails - Oct 2005 - How to send excel file to browser (spreadsheat 0.3.2)

hey, i want to generate an excel file and send it directly to the browser 
(without storing it to the harddisk).

does anyone has any solution?

thanks in advance

this is my code:
--------------------
def export_excel
	if @request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /msie/i
		@headers[''Pragma''] = ''''
		@headers[''Cache-Control''] = ''''
	else
		@headers[''Pragma''] = ''no-cache''
		@headers[''Cache-Control''] = ''no-cache,
must-revalidate''
	end

	send_data gen_excel, :filename => "timesheets.xls", :type => 
"application/vnd.ms-excel"
end

def gen_excel
	wb = Excel.new("test/timesheets.xls")
	version = Excel::VERSION

	# Preferred way to add a format
	f1 = wb.add_format(:color=>"black",:bold=>1,:italic=>true)
	f2 = wb.add_format(:color=>"black")

	f4 = Format.new(:num_format => "d mmm yyyy")
	f5 = Format.new(:num_format => 0x0f)
	wb.add_format(f4)
	wb.add_format(f5)

	ws1 = wb.add_worksheet("timesheets")

	#headers
	@header =
[''Employee'',''Address'',''Zip'',''City'',''Start
date'',''Start
time'',''Stop date'', ''Stop
time'',''Duration'']
	#headers afprinten op de 1ste rij
	0.upto(@header.length - 1) do |i|
		ws1.write(0,i,@header[i], f1)
	end

	wb.close
end

this is my error:
---------------------
WARNING:  You have a nil object when you probably didn''t expect it! 
Odds
are you
want an instance of Array instead.

Look in the callstack to see where you''re working with an object that
could
be nil.
Investigate your methods and make sure the object is what you expect!

/app/controllers/timesheets_controller.rb:205:in `export_excel''
script/server:49
Show framework trace
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/streaming.rb:110:in
`send_data''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/base.rb:756:in
`send''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/base.rb:756:in
`perform_action_without_filters''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/filters.rb:295:in
`perform_action_without_benchmark''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/benchmarking.rb:41:in
`perform_action_without_rescue''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/benchmarking.rb:41:in
`measure''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/benchmarking.rb:41:in
`perform_action_without_rescue''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/rescue.rb:80:in
`perform_action''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/base.rb:356:in
`send''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.9.1/lib/action_controller/base.rb:356:in
`process''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-0.13.1/lib/dispatcher.rb:32:in 
`dispatch''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-0.13.1/lib/webrick_server.rb:105:in 
`handle_dispatch''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-0.13.1/lib/webrick_server.rb:71:in 
`service''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/httpserver.rb:104:in `service''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/httpserver.rb:65:in `run''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:155:in `start_thread''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:144:in `start''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:144:in `start_thread''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:94:in `start''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:89:in `each''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:89:in `start''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:79:in `start''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:79:in `start''
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-0.13.1/lib/webrick_server.rb:57:in 
`dispatch''

On Oct 17, 2005, at 2:50 AM, Nick Brutyn wrote:
> hey, i want to generate an excel file and send it directly to the  
> browser (without storing it to the harddisk).
>
> does anyone has any solution?
>     send_data gen_excel, :filename => "timesheets.xls", :type
=>
> "application/vnd.ms-excel"
Here''s a send_data call from my code, largely lifted from the Agile  
book.

     send_data( @photo.image,
                :filename    => @photo.file_name,
                :type        => @photo.content_type,
                :disposition => ''inline'')

You haven''t specified :disposition, which in your case should be  
''attachment'' I would think.

-- 
-- Tom Mornini

Nick Brutyn wrote:
> hey, i want to generate an excel file and send it directly to the
> browser (without storing it to the harddisk).
> 
> does anyone has any solution?
Just a guess, but check what value wb.close returns - I don''t think
it''s
the workbook object, or the data.

-- 
Alex

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On Oct 17, 2005, at 2:50 AM, Nick Brutyn wrote:
> hey, i want to generate an excel file and send it directly to the  
> browser (without storing it to the harddisk).
>
> does anyone has any solution?
>
> thanks in advance
>
> this is my code:
> --------------------
> def export_excel
>     if @request.env[''HTTP_USER_AGENT''] =~ /msie/i
>         @headers[''Pragma''] = ''''
>         @headers[''Cache-Control''] = ''''
>     else
>         @headers[''Pragma''] = ''no-cache''
>         @headers[''Cache-Control''] = ''no-cache,
must-revalidate''
>     end
>
>     send_data gen_excel, :filename => "timesheets.xls", :type
=>
> "application/vnd.ms-excel"
> end
>
> def gen_excel
>     wb = Excel.new("test/timesheets.xls")
>     version = Excel::VERSION
>
>     # Preferred way to add a format
>     f1 =
wb.add_format(:color=>"black",:bold=>1,:italic=>true)
>     f2 = wb.add_format(:color=>"black")
>
>     f4 = Format.new(:num_format => "d mmm yyyy")
>     f5 = Format.new(:num_format => 0x0f)
>     wb.add_format(f4)
>     wb.add_format(f5)
>
>     ws1 = wb.add_worksheet("timesheets")
>
>     #headers
>     @header =
[''Employee'',''Address'',''Zip'',''City'',''Start
> date'',''Start time'',''Stop
date'', ''Stop time'',''Duration'']
>     #headers afprinten op de 1ste rij
>     0.upto(@header.length - 1) do |i|
>         ws1.write(0,i,@header[i], f1)
>     end
>
>     wb.close
> end
>
> this is my error:
> ---------------------
> WARNING:  You have a nil object when you probably didn''t expect  
> it!  Odds are you
> want an instance of Array instead.
>
> Look in the callstack to see where you''re working with an object  
> that could be nil.
> Investigate your methods and make sure the object is what you expect!
>
> /app/controllers/timesheets_controller.rb:205:in `export_excel''
Which one is line 205?  Somewhere on that line, or in a function  
that''s being called by that line, you are calling a method on a nil  
object.

Joe Van Dyk
http://www.pinkpucker.net


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> Which one is line 205?  Somewhere on that line, or in a function  
> that''s being called by that line, you are calling a method on a
nil
> object.

line 205 is 
send_data gen_excel, :filename => "timesheets.xls", :type 
=> "application/vnd.ms-excel"