Response Content type as CSV

Question

I need to send a CSV file in HTTP response. How can I set the output response as CSV format?

This is not working:

Response.ContentType = "application/CSV";

score 530 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 11 '09 at 02:48

530

Using text/csv is the most appropriate type.

You should also consider adding a Content-Disposition header to the response. Often a text/csv will be loaded by a Internet Explorer directly into a hosted instance of Excel. This may or may not be a desirable result.

Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment;filename=myfilename.csv");

The above will cause a file "Save as" dialog to appear which may be what you intend.

edited Nov 11 '09 at 02:48

Matt Sheppard

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answered Dec 26 '08 at 11:26

AnthonyWJones

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I like to use a System.Net.Mime.ContentDisposition object for building that string. – Ronnie Overby Jan 11 '12 at 15:00

score 171 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 16 '09 at 18:47

171

MIME type of the CSV is text/csv according to RFC 4180.

answered Mar 16 '09 at 18:47

sastanin

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score 72 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 30 '14 at 07:37

72

Use text/csv as the content type.

edited Jul 30 '14 at 07:37

CJ Ramki

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answered Dec 26 '08 at 09:36

ibz

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score 52 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 12 '09 at 01:11

52

Over the years I've been honing a perfect set of headers for this that work brilliantly in all browsers that I know of

// these headers avoid IE problems when using https:
// see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812935
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate");
header("Pragma: must-revalidate");

header("Content-type: application/vnd.ms-excel");
header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=$filename.csv");

answered Nov 12 '09 at 01:11

dangerous

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If you use application/vnd.ms-excel. On osx safari adds a ".xls" file extension – Luke Smith Jan 16 '12 at 10:40

score 29 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 26 '08 at 09:37

Try one of these other mime-types (from here: http://filext.com/file-extension/CSV )

text/comma-separated-values
text/csv
application/csv
application/excel
application/vnd.ms-excel
application/vnd.msexcel

Also, the mime-type might be case sensitive...

score 15 · Answer 6 · edited Nov 03 '09 at 14:57

15

Just Use like that

Response.Clear();
Response.ContentType = "application/CSV";
Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment; filename=\"" + filename + ".csv\"");
Response.Write(t.ToString());
Response.End();

edited Nov 03 '09 at 14:57

GateKiller

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answered Apr 28 '09 at 12:54

Enclosing the file name in double quotes fixed this for me when the client is Firefox. – Graham Mar 22 '11 at 08:55
1

If you're using this in an MVC controller, you'll need to end the controller method with `return new EmptyResult()` to get the filename to stick. Otherwise IE will try and save the file as `ActionName.htm`. – 3Dave Sep 16 '13 at 09:46

score 5 · Answer 7 · answered Jul 25 '13 at 11:35

5

In ASP.net MVC, you can use a FileContentResult and the File method:

public FileContentResult DownloadManifest() {
    byte[] csvData = getCsvData();
    return File(csvData, "text/csv", "filename.csv");
}

answered Jul 25 '13 at 11:35

Rob Church

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score 3 · Answer 8 · edited Jun 24 '15 at 19:21

I have found that the problem with IE is that it sniffs the return data and makes up its own mind about what content-type it thinks it has been sent. There are a number of side effect that this causes, such as always openning a saveAs dialog for text files because you are using compression of data trasnferes. The solution is (in php code)......

header('X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff');

score 2 · Answer 9 · answered Jun 13 '11 at 21:59

2

I suggest to insert an '/' character in front of 'myfilename.cvs'

Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment;filename=/myfilename.csv");

I hope you get better results.

answered Jun 13 '11 at 21:59

Jaider

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score 2 · Answer 10 · answered Apr 28 '09 at 01:39

2

Setting the content type and the content disposition as described above produces wildly varying results with different browsers:

IE8: SaveAs dialog as desired, and Excel as the default app. 100% good.

Firefox: SaveAs dialog does show up, but Firefox has no idea it is a spreadsheet. Suggests opening it with Visual Studio! 50% good

Chrome: the hints are fully ignored. The CSV data is shown in the browser. 0% good.

Of course in all of these cases I'm referring to the browsers as they come out of they box, with no customization of the mime/application mappings.

answered Apr 28 '09 at 01:39

If Firefox wants you to open with Visual Studio, means you are exporting the HTML and not a CSV. – Martin Sep 08 '09 at 18:43
This does not appear to be the case in 2014, it worked fine in all of them for me. – MikeKulls May 01 '14 at 01:30
Please define "as described above" – xhienne Nov 16 '17 at 11:47

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Mar 27 '18 at 11:35

For C# MVC 4.5 you need to do like this:

Response.Clear();
Response.ContentType = "application/CSV";
Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment; filename=\"" + fileName + ".csv\"");
Response.Write(dataNeedToPrint);
Response.End();
return new EmptyResult();  //this line is important else it will not work.

Response Content type as CSV

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