c# (WinForms-App) export DataSet to Excel

Question

I need a solution to export a dataset to an excel file without any asp code (HttpResonpsne...) but i did not find a good example to do this...

Best thanks in advance

Answer 1

This was a post with a really helpful top answer, but I found it was lacking because there was no simple way to import the XML file back into a datatable. I ended up having to write my own, and thought I would share it here in case anyone else was in the same boat (google was exceptionally unhelpful in that regard):

public static DataTable ImportExcelXML(string Filename)
    {
        //create a new dataset to load in the XML file
        DataSet DS = new DataSet();
        //Read the XML file into the dataset
        DS.ReadXml(Filename);
        //Create a new datatable to store the raw Data
        DataTable Raw = new DataTable();
        //assign the raw data from the file to the datatable
        Raw = DS.Tables["Data"];
        //count the number of columns in the XML file
        int ColumnNumber = Raw.Columns.Count;
        //create a datatable to store formatted Import Data
        DataTable ImportData = new DataTable();
        //create a string list to store the cell data of each row
        List<string> RowData = new List<string>();
        //loop through each row in the raw data table
        for (int Counter = 0; Counter < Raw.Rows.Count; Counter++)
        {
            //if the data in the row is a colum header
            if (Counter < ColumnNumber)
            {
                //add the column name to our formatted datatable
                ImportData.Columns.Add(Raw.Rows[Counter].ItemArray.GetValue(1).ToString());
            }
            else
            {
                //if the row # (1 row = 1 cell from the excel file) from the raw datatable is divisable evenly by the number of columns in the formated import datatable AND this is not the 1st row of the raw table data after the headers
                if ((Counter % ColumnNumber == 0) && (Counter != ColumnNumber))
                {
                    //add the row we just built to the formatted import datatable
                    ImportData.Rows.Add(GenerateRow(ImportData, RowData));
                    //clear rowdata list in preperation for the next row
                    RowData.Clear();
                }
                //add the current cell data value from the raw datatable to the string list of cell values for the next row to be added to the formatted input datatable
                RowData.Add(Raw.Rows[Counter].ItemArray.GetValue(1).ToString());
            }
        }
        //add the final row
        ImportData.Rows.Add(GenerateRow(ImportData, RowData));

        return ImportData;
    }

    public static DataRow GenerateRow(DataTable ImportData, List<string> RowData)
    {
        //create a counter to keep track of the column position during row composition
        int ColumnPosition = 0;
        //make a new datarow based on the schema of the formated import datatable
        DataRow NewRow = ImportData.NewRow();
        //for each string cell value collected for the RowData list for this row
        foreach (string CellData in RowData)
        {
            //add the cell value to the new datarow
            NewRow[ImportData.Columns[ColumnPosition].ColumnName] = CellData;
            //incriment column position in the new row
            ColumnPosition++;
        }
        //return the generated row
        return NewRow;
    }

Answer 2

Creating excel files in .NET applications is quite common and similar questions have been asked several times before. For instance here and here. The last question asks about reading excel files, but most suggested solutions should work both ways.