Export a DataTable to Excel in ASP.NET

Published Oct 22, 2006

Back in February I wrote a post on how to export DataTables to XML and Excel and I still get a lot of search engine traffic to that post. People have been asking me to simplify the example and only concentrate on the Excel export, so that’s what I will do now.

All spreadsheet applications (Excel, Calc etc.) understand semicolon separated files natively, so everyone can use this method – you don’t even have to use Excel for it to work.

public static void ExportToSpreadsheet(DataTable table, string name)

{

HttpContext context = HttpContext.Current;

context.Response.Clear();

foreach (DataColumn column in table.Columns)

{

context.Response.Write(column.ColumnName + ";");

}

context.Response.Write(Environment.NewLine);

foreach (DataRow row in table.Rows)

{

for (int i = 0; i < table.Columns.Count; i++)

{

context.Response.Write(row[i].ToString().Replace(";", string.Empty) + ";");

}

context.Response.Write(Environment.NewLine);

}

context.Response.ContentType = "text/csv";

context.Response.AppendHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" + name + ".csv");

context.Response.End();

}

Then just call this method and pass the DataTable and the filename as parameters.

ExportToSpreadsheet(table, "products");

The method is static so you can use it anywhere in a web application. Put it on a page, a HTTP Handler, add it to the App_Code folder or stick it in a separate assembly. As long as you call it from a web application it will work.

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