How to return an Excel file from ASP.NET Core Web API web-app?

Question

In similar questions, with this code works to download a PDF:

I\'m testing with local files (.xlsx, .pdf, .zip) inside the Controller folder.

Answer 1

I had this same issue. My issue was being caused by the client request, not the server response. I solved it by adding a response content type to my Get request's header options. Here is my example in Angular 2.

Request from client (Angular 2) **requires filesaver.js library

this._body = '';

    let rt: ResponseContentType = 2; // This is what I had to add ResponseContentType (2 = ArrayBuffer , Blob = 3)
        options.responseType = rt;
    if (url.substring(0, 4) !== 'http') {
        url = config.getApiUrl(url);
    }

    this.http.get(url, options).subscribe(
        (response: any) => {
            let mediaType = 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet';
            let blob = new Blob([response._body], { type: mediaType });
            let filename = 'test.xlsx';
            fileSaver.saveAs(blob, filename);
        });

Server side code. (.net core)

    [HttpGet("{dataViewId}")]
    public IActionResult GetData(string dataViewId)
    {
        var fileName = $"test.xlsx";
        var filepath = $"controllers/test/{fileName}";
        var mimeType = "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet";

        byte[] fileBytes = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(filepath);
        return File(fileBytes, mimeType, fileName);
    }

here are the references if you want to see.

Corrupted download in AngularJs app

C# File Download is Corrupt

Answer 2

you can use NPOI

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using NPOI.SS.UserModel;
using NPOI.SS.Util;
using NPOI.XSSF.UserModel;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;

namespace export_excel.Controllers
{

    [ApiController]
    [Route("[controller]")]
    public class ExportExcelController : ControllerBase
    {

        private readonly IHostingEnvironment _hostingEnvironment;

        public ExportExcelController(IHostingEnvironment hostingEnvironment)
        {
            _hostingEnvironment = hostingEnvironment;
        }

        // https://localhost:5001/ExportExcel/Export
        // https://localhost:5001/static-file/employee.xlsx
        [HttpGet]
        [Route("Export")]
        public IActionResult Export()
        {
            List<Employee> list = new List<Employee>()
            {
                new Employee{ emp_code = "152110032", Name = "Nguyen Hong Anh", Phone = "0909998789" },
                new Employee{ emp_code = "152110055", Name = "Tran Phuong Dung", Phone = "0909993456" },
                new Employee{ emp_code = "152110022", Name = "Do Bich Ngoc", Phone = "0909991237" },
                new Employee{ emp_code = "152110025", Name = "Tran Thu Ha", Phone = "0909990987" },
            };
            // New workbook.
            XSSFWorkbook wb = new XSSFWorkbook();
            // New worksheet.
            ISheet sheet = wb.CreateSheet();
            // Write to sheet.
            // Tạo row
            var row0 = sheet.CreateRow(0);
            // At first row, merge 3 columns.
            // Create cell before merging.
            row0.CreateCell(0);
            CellRangeAddress cellMerge = new CellRangeAddress(0, 0, 0, 2);
            sheet.AddMergedRegion(cellMerge);
            row0.GetCell(0).SetCellValue("Employee information");
            // Ghi tên cột ở row 1
            var row1 = sheet.CreateRow(1);
            row1.CreateCell(0).SetCellValue("emp_code");
            row1.CreateCell(1).SetCellValue("fullname");
            row1.CreateCell(2).SetCellValue("Phone");
            // Traversaling array, then write continous.
            int rowIndex = 2;
            foreach (var item in list)
            {
                // Init new row.
                var newRow = sheet.CreateRow(rowIndex);
                // set values.
                newRow.CreateCell(0).SetCellValue(item.emp_code);
                newRow.CreateCell(1).SetCellValue(item.Name);
                newRow.CreateCell(2).SetCellValue(item.Phone);
                // Increase index.
                rowIndex++;
            };
            if (!System.IO.File.Exists("c:\\myfiles\\employee.xlsx"))

            {
                FileStream fs = new FileStream(@"c:\myfiles\employee.xlsx", FileMode.CreateNew);
                wb.Write(fs);
            }
            var path = Path.Combine(@"c:\myfiles\employee.xlsx");
            return File(System.IO.File.OpenRead(path), contentType: "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet; charset=utf-8", fileDownloadName: "employee.xlsx");
        }

    }

    public class Employee
    {
        public string emp_code;
        public string Name;
        public string Phone;
    }

}

File Startup.cs

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.FileProviders;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
using System.IO;

namespace export_excel
{
    public class Startup
    {
        public Startup(IConfiguration configuration)
        {
            Configuration = configuration;
        }

        public IConfiguration Configuration { get; }

        public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
        {
            services.AddControllers();
        }

        public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IWebHostEnvironment env)
        {
            if (env.IsDevelopment())
            {
                app.UseDeveloperExceptionPage();
            }
            app.UseHttpsRedirection();
            app.UseRouting();
            app.UseAuthorization();
            app.UseStaticFiles(new StaticFileOptions
            {
                FileProvider = new PhysicalFileProvider(
            // Path.Combine(env.ContentRootPath, @"c:\audio\")),
            // Path.Combine(@"c:\audio\")),
            Path.Combine(@"c:\myfiles")),
                RequestPath = "/static-file"
            });
            app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
            {
                endpoints.MapControllers();
            });
        }
    }

}

You can use 1 of 2 ways, go to

https://localhost:5001/ExportExcel/Export

or

https://localhost:5001/static-file/employee.xlsx

Answer 3

My (working) solution:

• I've got a class that dynamically creates an XLSX file using EPPlus.Core.
  • This returns a FileInfo for the generated file's path.

This is what is in my Controller:

[HttpGet("test")]
public async Task<FileResult> Get()
{
    var contentRootPath = _hostingEnvironment.ContentRootPath;

    // "items" is a List<T> of DataObjects
    var items = await _mediator.Send(new GetExcelRequest());

    var fileInfo = new ExcelFileCreator(contentRootPath).Execute(items);
    var bytes = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(fileInfo.FullName);

    const string contentType = "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet";
    HttpContext.Response.ContentType = contentType;
    HttpContext.Response.Headers.Add("Access-Control-Expose-Headers", "Content-Disposition");

    var fileContentResult = new FileContentResult(bytes, contentType)
    {
        FileDownloadName = fileInfo.Name
    };

    return fileContentResult;
}

And here is what I have in Angular2:

downloadFile() {
    debugger;
    var headers = new Headers();
    headers.append('responseType', 'arraybuffer');

    let url = new URL('api/excelFile/test', environment.apiUrl);

    return this.http
        .get(url.href, {
            withCredentials: true,
            responseType: ResponseContentType.ArrayBuffer
        })
        .subscribe((response) => {
            let file = new Blob([response.blob()], { type: 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet' });
            let fileName = response.headers.get('Content-Disposition').split(';')[1].trim().split('=')[1];
            saveAs(file, fileName);
        },
        err => this.errorHandler.onError(err)
        );
}

Answer 4

Following is an example of how you can download a file, you can model your scenario of downloading an Excel file after it:

public IActionResult Index([FromServices] IHostingEnvironment hostingEnvironment)
{
    var path = Path.Combine(hostingEnvironment.ContentRootPath, "Controllers", "TextFile.txt");
    return File(System.IO.File.OpenRead(path), contentType: "text/plain; charset=utf-8", fileDownloadName: "Readme.txt");
}

If the file is in the wwwroot folder, you could do something like below instead:

public IActionResult Index()
{
    return File(virtualPath: "~/TextFile.txt", contentType: "text/plain; charset=utf-8", fileDownloadName: "Readme.txt");
}