Rails - Jun 2010 - How to generate an application/excel type download?

For my data aquisition application, I want to implement a download
function, that generates a file in excel 2003 (xml) - Format.

Is it possible to add a new format the show function to produce such a
file and send it to the client?
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On 24 Jun 2010, at 13:57, Fritz Trapper wrote:
> For my data aquisition application, I want to implement a download
> function, that generates a file in excel 2003 (xml) - Format.
>
> Is it possible to add a new format the show function to produce such a
> file and send it to the client?
Add the following to initializers/mimetypes.rb:

Mime::Type.register "application/vnd.ms-excel", :xls
Then in your show method:

def show
    respond_to do |format|
       format.html { # render normal show here }
       format.xls { # render excel file here }
    end
end


Best regards

Peter De Berdt

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Thanks for your quick reply.

For a quick test, I entered http://localhost:3000/data/5.xls into the 
browser.

The response is: "Template is missing"

The code fragment in show is:

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html # show.html.erb
      format.xls  { render :to_excel_2003 => @data }
    end

and to_excel_2003 only contains a debugger call, which is never reached.

Two more questions:
How to overcome the "Template is missing" - an .erb-file
doesn''t make
sense here.
How to build the link_to to generate a link to the .xls-file?
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Fritz Trapper wrote:
> The code fragment in show is:
> 
>     respond_to do |format|
>       format.html # show.html.erb
>       format.xls  { render :to_excel_2003 => @data }
>     end
OK, that''s nonsense. should be:
>       format.xls  { render :xls => @data.to_excel_2003 }
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On 24 Jun 2010, at 15:12, Fritz Trapper wrote:
> Thanks for your quick reply.
>
> For a quick test, I entered http://localhost:3000/data/5.xls into the
> browser.
>
> The response is: "Template is missing"
>
> The code fragment in show is:
>
>    respond_to do |format|
>      format.html # show.html.erb
>      format.xls  { render :to_excel_2003 => @data }
>    end
>
> and to_excel_2003 only contains a debugger call, which is never  
> reached.
>
> Two more questions:
> How to overcome the "Template is missing" - an .erb-file
doesn''t make
> sense here.
Use a valid render command. And to send the file:

http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionController/Streaming.html
> How to build the link_to to generate a link to the .xls-file?

Just like you would generate a normal link, but with :format => xls as  
an extra parameter.

Best regards

Peter De Berdt

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On 24 Jun 2010, at 15:19, Fritz Trapper wrote:
> OK, that''s nonsense. should be:
>>      format.xls  { render :xls => @data.to_excel_2003 }
This is just as wrong, you just need to serve up data using what''s  
available in Rails. Anyway, send_data is the thing you want.


Best regards

Peter De Berdt

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Peter De Berdt wrote:
> This is just as wrong, you just need to serve up data using what''s
> available in Rails. Anyway, send_data is the thing you want.
There is an example in  responde_to:

  def index
    @people = Person.find(:all)

    respond_to do |format|
      format.html
      format.xml { render :xml => @people.to_xml }
    end
  end

For me, to_xml looks like method of the class of @people. Right?

My data is in @data, which needs to be rendered into the excel xml 
format using a template consisting of xml fragments and variables, that 
will be expanded using the content of @data.

send_data will be the very last step.

The point is, that the excel file doesn''t exist and should be created
on
the fly.
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On 24 Jun 2010, at 16:10, Fritz Trapper wrote:
> Peter De Berdt wrote:
>> This is just as wrong, you just need to serve up data using
what''s
>> available in Rails. Anyway, send_data is the thing you want.
>
> There is an example in  responde_to:
>
>  def index
>    @people = Person.find(:all)
>
>    respond_to do |format|
>      format.html
>      format.xml { render :xml => @people.to_xml }
>    end
>  end
>
> For me, to_xml looks like method of the class of @people. Right?
Well, it''s actually a method from Enumerable or Array which renders it
to an XML format according to Rails specifications. That doesn''t mean  
Excel will be able to read it (and it won''t, I can tell you right now).
> My data is in @data, which needs to be rendered into the excel xml
> format using a template consisting of xml fragments and variables,  
> that
> will be expanded using the content of @data.
>
> send_data will be the very last step.
>
> The point is, that the excel file doesn''t exist and should be  
> created on
> the fly.
Uhu, and your point is?

You have three options:
- Make a template in excel with some variables (I would recommend  
using something like liquid instead of erb) and run them through the  
template parser of your choice
- Generate an excel file using one  of the gems you find when googling  
"ruby excel", your mileage may vary on those
- Generate an excel file using your own code based on the public spec  
available from Mickeysoft


Best regards

Peter De Berdt

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Peter De Berdt wrote:
> On 24 Jun 2010, at 16:10, Fritz Trapper wrote:
> 
>>      format.html
>>      format.xml { render :xml => @people.to_xml }
>>    end
>>  end
>>
>> For me, to_xml looks like method of the class of @people. Right?
> 
> Well, it''s actually a method from Enumerable or Array which
renders it
> to an XML format according to Rails specifications. That doesn''t
mean
> Excel will be able to read it (and it won''t, I can tell you right
now).
It''s really a member function of

 class data < ActiveRecord::Base
  def to_excel_2003
    debugger
  end
 end

and gets called from format.xls { render :xls => @data.to_excel_2003 }

My problem now is to find a trick to redirect back to show after 
downloading the file.

As a result, the client should ge a download dialog to store the file.
> You have three options:
> - Make a template in excel with some variables (I would recommend
> using something like liquid instead of erb) and run them through the
> template parser of your choice
> - Generate an excel file using one  of the gems you find when googling
> "ruby excel", your mileage may vary on those
This is too much efford. I developed the xml-solution for javascript and 
it works very well.

To design and format such a sheet, simply use excel or OpenOffice and 
export it as excel 2003 format, then take a xml editor like XML Copy 
Editor, pretty print it and extract varable blocks to xml fragments and 
set variables instead.

This is something like a template and my to_excel_2003 should act as a 
template parser. Any idea, how to do this?
> - Generate an excel file using your own code based on the public spec
> available from Mickeysoft
This is even more efford...
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On 24 Jun 2010, at 17:19, Fritz Trapper wrote:
> It''s really a member function of
>
> class data < ActiveRecord::Base
>  def to_excel_2003
>    debugger
>  end
> end
>
> and gets called from format.xls { render :xls => @data.to_excel_2003 }
>
> My problem now is to find a trick to redirect back to show after
> downloading the file.
>
> As a result, the client should ge a download dialog to store the file.
Instead of render :xls, use send_data with the correct options to  
serve the file with disposition attachment (see the docs), this will  
bring up the dialog box right away and you never have to redirect to  
show, since a file download doesn''t do a page refresh.

You''ll need to implement the to_excel_2003 method to return a string  
at the end that will constitute the contents of the file. It''s up to  
you to figure out which method of actually generating the string fits  
your project best and implement it.

Best regards

Peter De Berdt

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Similar to what Peter is pointing out, I use a similar construct to 
generate and send a pdf to the user off a link on the ''show''
form...

def pdf
  if @project = Project.find(params[:id])
    filename = 
@project.name+"-"+Time.now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d-%H%M")+".pdf"
    filename = filename.gsub(" ","_")
    send_data @project.as_pdf(params[:detail_level]), :filename => 
filename, :type => "application/pdf"
  end
end

Where I use @project.as_pdf, you might have @data.to_excel_2003 to 
create your file, and you''ll need a different :type on your send_data 
call.
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i have installed
ruby 1.8.6 window version,
rails 2.0.2

everything runs fine except SCAFFOLD
when i run
ruby script/generate scaffold modelname controllername actions
e,g.  C:depot>ruby script/generate scaffold Album albums
           it gives following error
"WRONG NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS (1 FOR 2)"
 i tried with many dummyprojects and tutorial,
BUT if i run
   ruby script/generate scaffold modelname
e.g ruby script/generate scaffold Album
 IT''S RUN FINE
SEE THE FOLLOWING



C:\InstantRails-2.0-win_2\rails_apps\music_library_development>ruby
script/generate scaffold Album  albums
      exists  app/models/
      exists  app/controllers/
      exists  app/helpers/
      create  app/views/products
      exists  app/views/layouts/
      exists  test/functional/
      exists  test/unit/
      create  app/views/products/index.html.erb
wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)

C:\InstantRails-2.0-win_2\rails_apps\music_library_development>ruby
script/generate scaffold Album
      exists  app/models/
      exists  app/controllers/
      exists  app/helpers/
      exists  app/views/albums
      exists  app/views/layouts/
      exists  test/functional/
      exists  test/unit/
      create  app/views/products/index.html.erb
      create  app/views/products/show.html.erb
      create  app/views/products/new.html.erb
      create  app/views/products/edit.html.erb
      create  app/views/layouts/albums.html.erb
      create  public/stylesheets/scaffold.css
  dependency  model
      exists    app/models/
      exists    test/unit/
      exists    test/fixtures/
      create    app/models/album.rb
      create    test/unit/album_test.rb
      create    test/fixtures/albums.yml
      create    db/migrate
      create    db/migrate/20080628070012_create_albums.rb
      create  app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
      create  test/functional/albums_controller_test.rb
      create  app/helpers/albums_helper.rb
       route  map.resources :albums

C:\InstantRails-2.0-win_2\rails_apps\music_library_development>

BUT RESULTS ARE A BIT DIFFERENT ,
 i am looking for Modelname "album", Controllername " albums
"
and Actions "show.rhtml, new.rhml, edit.rhtml,_form.rhtml"

BUT RESULTS ARE
 Modelname " album" , Controllername " albums",and Actions
"show.html.erb,new.html.erb,edit.html.erb,index.html.erb"


PLZ HELP ME WHAT''S GOING WRONG
Thanks

Pravin Mishra
Pravinmishra88-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org


On 24/06/2010, Ar Chron <lists-fsXkhYbjdPsEEoCn2XhGlw@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> Similar to what Peter is pointing out, I use a similar construct to
> generate and send a pdf to the user off a link on the
''show'' form...
>
> def pdf
>   if @project = Project.find(params[:id])
>     filename >
@project.name+"-"+Time.now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d-%H%M")+".pdf"
>     filename = filename.gsub(" ","_")
>     send_data @project.as_pdf(params[:detail_level]), :filename =>
> filename, :type => "application/pdf"
>   end
> end
>
> Where I use @project.as_pdf, you might have @data.to_excel_2003 to
> create your file, and you''ll need a different :type on your
send_data
> call.
> --
> Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
>
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Ar Chron wrote:
> Similar to what Peter is pointing out, I use a similar construct to 
> generate and send a pdf to the user off a link on the
''show'' form...
> 
> def pdf
>   if @project = Project.find(params[:id])
>     filename = 
>
@project.name+"-"+Time.now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d-%H%M")+".pdf"
>     filename = filename.gsub(" ","_")
>     send_data @project.as_pdf(params[:detail_level]), :filename => 
> filename, :type => "application/pdf"
>   end
> end
> 
> Where I use @project.as_pdf, you might have @data.to_excel_2003 to 
> create your file, and you''ll need a different :type on your
send_data
> call.
Thanks for your reply. I''m about to solve it. Downloading a file works,
now I have to render the xml string.
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