Question

How to Invoke 'Save As' Dialog Box on page created by javascript

Asked by: drmans

The Function below loops through html table data and creates what looks like essentially a .csv file.  How could I change this code so that it...

A)  Writes the data to a new tab instead of overwriting the original page

B)  Automatically forces a 'save as' dialog box so that a user can save the content as a .txt file on  their computer

function convertCSV(){
 
var r  = 0;
MyTable = document.getElementById('tablesort');
csvout = window.document ;
numofRows = MyTable.rows.length-1;
numofCells =  MyTable.rows[0].cells.length-1;    //
var rowcsv= [numofRows];
var cntrows = 0;
for ( r == 0; r <= numofRows; r++) {
     var c =0;
     tempdata = "";
     for (c == 0; c<=numofCells; c++) {
 
		if (c != numofCells && MyTable.rows[r].cells[c].style.display!='none') {
             tempdata+= MyTable.rows[r].cells[c].innerHTML + ",";
            }else{
				if(c != numofCells && MyTable.rows[r].cells[c].style.display=='none'){
				}else{
					tempdata+= MyTable.rows[r].cells[c].innerHTML= "<br>";
					
			 }
 
          }
	    }
     rowcsv[r] = tempdata
     }
csvout.open("text/html");
var rowcnt = 0;
for (rowcnt == 0; rowcnt<= rowcsv.length-1; rowcnt++){
    csvout.write(rowcsv[rowcnt]);
    } csvout.close();
}

                                  
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Asked On
2009-04-17 at 12:36:06ID24332959
Tags

Javascript

,

ASP

Topics

Scripting Languages

,

Active Server Pages (ASP)

Participating Experts
1
Points
250
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: rdivilbissPosted on 2009-04-17 at 12:50:18ID: 24171434

It is a browser security violation to attemp to invoke File, Save As from within your web page.  So this isn't possible using JavaScript, nor should it be.

However, you still have the option of serving your results as a file download the user can accept or reject by using the correct content disposition header in your page.

Content-disposition: attachment; filename=fname.ext

 

by: rdivilbissPosted on 2009-04-17 at 12:52:14ID: 24171449

If you use the FSO to create a temp file on your server of the results then you could use this code:

<%
Response.ContentType = "application/vnd.ms-excel"
Response.AddHeader "Content-Disposition","attachment; filename=test.csv"
 
Dim objStream
Set objStream = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
 
'Open a stream
objStream.Type = 2 ' adTypeText
objStream.Open
objStream.Charset = "iso-8859-1"
objStream.LoadFromFile Server.MapPath("/database/test.txt")
 
' objStream.Position=0
Response.write objStream.ReadText
objStream.Flush
objStream.Close
%>

                                              
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by: rdivilbissPosted on 2009-04-17 at 12:58:49ID: 24171523

This might be more useful to your situation.

<%
Dim objStream
Set objStream = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
 
objStream.Type = 2 ' adTypeText
objStream.Open
 
 
'%%%% create your data and append it to the stream instead of tempdata
 
objStream.WriteText "whatever"
'repeat as necessary
 
 
 
Response.ContentType = "application/vnd.ms-excel"
Response.AddHeader "Content-Disposition","attachment; filename=test.csv"
objStream.Position=0
Response.write objStream.ReadText
objStream.Flush
objStream.Close
	
%>

                                              
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by: drmansPosted on 2009-04-17 at 13:04:52ID: 24171572

That makes sense...
In regards to this code --> Content-disposition: attachment; filename=fname.ext
Is there any way to create the filename automatically by pulling information from the url and then setting the default extension to .txt?

 

by: drmansPosted on 2009-04-17 at 13:13:12ID: 24171644

Ok...so ultimately if i were to use the 'objStream.WriteText "whatever"' method that you suggest is it possible to have the javascript function automatically dump the output into "whatever".  Or else how would I append the dynamically created data to the stream?

 

by: rdivilbissPosted on 2009-04-17 at 14:09:52ID: 24172070

>In regards to this code --> Content-disposition: attachment; filename=fname.ext
Is there any way to create the filename automatically by pulling information from the url and then setting the default extension to .txt?

You'll need to use ASP.  JavaScript won't begin until after the header is written.

Create the tempdata on one page (don't write to the browser), post the tempdata string to a file download web page, retrieve it with Request.Post and do your stream on that page.  The only thing the user will note is a change of URL (maybe - depends on how fast your first page executes.)  Or simpler, redo the JS part in ASP.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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