PHP to Excel - how do you avoid this error msg?

[TQ_designs]

Though I'm successfully able to generate an excel file with the following code:

$filename ="excelreport.xls";
header("Pragma: public");
header("Expires: 0");
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
header("Content-Type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Type: application/download");;
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename={$filename} "); 
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary ");

...Excel always gives the following error message before letting me open the file:

The file you are trying to open is in a different format than specified by the file extension. Verify that the file is not corrupted and is from a trusted source before opening the file. Do you want to open the file now?

Any idea how to avoid this? There's nothing special in my excel file so far; just a straight list of database results and it will open successfully when I click "Yes". I just want a way to stop that annoying message from coming up in the first place.

[big_nerd]

TQ_designs,

I looked at http://stuvel.eu/pdfdownload and found the following function (modified to suit your needs):

<?php

functions sendFile($filename,$content_type="application/ms-excel") {
  header('Content-type: '.$content_type); 
  header('Content-disposition: Attachment; filename=' . $filename); 
  readfile($filename);  

}
?>

Essentially it seem the content-disposition will force the download instead of giving a different content type.

I havn't tested this, but best of luck... I'd imagine you can setup your no-cache, etc as well.

[TQ_designs]

Thanks, but I'm not sure if that's what I need - the browser already offers the file for download as it should, with my existing code. It's MS Excel that's throwing the error message, suggesting it's not a valid MS Excel file even though it is (i.e. the message comes up when I try to open the file in Excel)

[dagon]

how was excelreport.xls created?

[TQ_designs]

With results from a MySQL database, nothing fancy:

    $position="phone_list"; 
    $contents = "";
    $result = getPeople($position, array('first_name','last_name','position_type','phone','location','lab','labext'));
    $filename ="excelreport.xls";

header("Pragma: public");
header("Expires: 0");
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
header("Content-Type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Type: application/download");
header("Content-type: application/ms-excel");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename={$filename} "); 
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary ");

while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($result,MYSQL_ASSOC)) {
	$contents = str_replace("’", "'", $row['last_name']) . " \t";
	$contents .= str_replace("’", "'", $row['first_name']) . " \t";
	$contents .= find_alias($row['position_type']) . " \t";
	$contents .= str_replace("519-824-4120 x", "", $row['phone']) . " \t";
	$contents .= "{$row['location']} \t";
	$contents .= "{$row['lab']} \t";
	$contents .= "{$row['labext']} \t";
	$contents .= "\n"; 
	echo $contents;
}

[dagon]

just naming a file *.xls, does not make it a valid excel file, that's why excel complains.

[TQ_designs]

I tried an experiment, changing the file extension to .csv, and then it opened in Excel without any errors. Still curious, though, as to how I could make it a valid Excel file? I'm stuck on a server with PHP 4.3.9; not sure if that makes a difference...

[dagon]

there are classes to do it but xls is a propriety format just open an excel file in notepad.

Its dangerous to be using such a old php version, its no longer supported, any security holes will not be patched, its also 5 years old.

[TQ_designs]

Its dangerous to be using such a old php version, its no longer supported, any security holes will not be patched, its also 5 years old.

I know, but the Powers That Be where I work don't want to upgrade at this time 🙁

[dagon]

TQ_designs;10931658 wrote:

I know, but the Powers That Be where I work don't want to upgrade at this time 🙁

try harder, every time my boss want to do something stupid i tell him its my way or i quit, works every time