Launching Excel from a CGI

[rashley]

I have this CGI application that needs to take a server-side XML file, and launch MS Excel on the client machine and feed the file to it.

I've been looking at MIME::Type and MIME::Entity, but I'm not sure that they are exactly what I need, and I haven't managed to find any exaples of this functionality.

What would the monks suggest as an approach here, and has anyone seen any examples of this?

Thanks.

[derby]

Set the Cotent-Type Content-Type appropriately (application/vnd.ms-excel) and then just output CSV - that would be my starting point.

Update: err ... Content-Type not Cotent-Type. Thks cog.

[cog]

I was going to say "Hey, it's not 'Cotent-Type'", but then I noticed he asked for 'exaples', so I guess you're talking the same language O:-)

[rashley]

Think I got it:

sub retrieveFile
  {
    my $file = shift;
    if(not -e $file)
      {
        croak "Could not locate file: $file)";
      }

    if(not open(FH, $file))
      {
        croak "Could not open file: $file";
      }
    my $filesize = -s $file;

    ## Note type will need to change based on the type of file that is
    ## returned.
    print $cgi->header(-type=>'application/vnd.ms-excel',
                       -Content-Disposition=>"attachment; filename=$fi
+le", 
                       -Content_Length=>$filesize);

    while(<FH>)
      {
        print;
      }

    close FH;
  }

[rashley]

Ah, one hitch. As is, the default file name when you go to open/save it is the name of the CGI doing the work. How can I control that name?

[derby]

Use something like LiveHTTPHeaders (or wget) to see if your Content-Disposition is being set correctly -- I haven't tested it but I think you may need to do Content_Disposition. Or just use the -attachment parameter:

 print $cgi->header(
  -type => 'application/vnd.ms-excel',
  -attachment => $file,
  -Content_Length => $filesize
);

update: Either using -Content_Disposition or -attachment works for me.

[Popcorn Dave]

I found this while looking for a spreadsheet that I could embed in a CGI app. It's an ajax spreadsheet based on Dojo 0.3.1. I don't know if it's going to be as advanced as you'll need for your spreadsheets, but I believe it works on your machine with your storage, not online storage. Plus you can download it, so you get all source.

Not a Perl solution but it may work for you just the same.

HTH!

[themage]

Hi rashley,

Another thing I would look at is Spreadsheet::WriteExcel.

I've used it in the past with very good results.

The content-type, however, is something you will need anyway.