Dynamic Client-Side FileName in Export to Excel Action Javascript

[Progytech]

Hi All,

I have an "Export to Excel or Ascii or Custom format" Action Javascript and I would like to dynamically generate the Client-side file name to include some data from the grid, is this possible?
ExportToExcelOptions.png

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Dynamic Client-Side FileName in Export to Excel Action Javascript

Hi All,

I have an "Export to Excel or Ascii or Custom format" Action Javascript and I would like to dynamically generate the Client-side file name to include some data from the grid, is this possible?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]38200[/ATTACH]

I know one way you could do this, but it will require that you convert your action javascript into code - no more GUI for editing.

Though, now that I'm looking at it, can you do it in one of those events that are provided? In the Server Side After Export event, you have access to the file name: e.exportFilename.

Back to my first suggestion, in the global definition section of the javascript, you'll see something similar to this:

window['{grid.componentName}_G_ACTIONBUTTON_EXPORT_1'] = function(objEle) {
	
    var rowNum = {grid.object}._selectedRow;
    var rowId = $u.s.tran(rowNum,'-','_');

	

    var placeHolderValues = 'Q_ID =' +{Grid.object}._getValue('G','Q_ID',rowNum);
    var arguments = 'Q_ID|Numeric|[[[data.Q_ID]]]';


    var callbackData = '[B][COLOR="#FF0000"]_csfilename=FileName[/COLOR][/B]&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=4&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=Y&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_customType=SQL&_connectionstring=[omitted]&_sqlselect=[omitted]';
    callbackData = callbackData + '&_placeholderValues='+placeHolderValues + '&_arguments='+arguments;
    {grid.Object}.ajaxCallback('G',rowNum,'__a5systemfileExport','',callbackData);
}

The part in red --> that's the file name. You can edit this text to say something else, like...

    //Note: you will need to ensure this string is HTML safe! Things like spaces will need to be escaped properly --- in a format that you would use to set page variables on a web page
    var myGeneratedFilename = {grid.object}.('G','Q_TITLE',rowNum) + '_' + Date().toFormat("yyyyMMdd");

    var callbackData = '[B][COLOR="#FF0000"]_csfilename=' + myGeneratedFilename + '[/COLOR][/B]&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=4&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=Y&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_customType=SQL&_connectionstring=[omitted]&_sqlselect=[omitted]';

You should probably look at the server side event first to see if you can edit the file name there. If that doesn't work, then you can come back in here and convert your action javascript to straight-up text by selecting "Text Mode". You will not be able to get back to the WYSIWYG editor for this action once you convert it. Also, if you have more than one action javascript that executes here (something else besides your export to excel), text mode won't work --- you'll end up with no code and no actions.

[Progytech]

Re: Dynamic Client-Side FileName in Export to Excel Action Javascript

Hi Sarah,
First, thanks a lot for taking the time to provide me with these options, much appreciated!!!

About the server side events, none of them expose the e.exportFilename unless using a Custom export generation which could be more complicated.
I will try your other suggestion and see how it goes.

[Progytech]

Re: Dynamic Client-Side FileName in Export to Excel Action Javascript

Hi Sarah,

Once again, thanks for the generosity on sharing the idea and code sample.

In my case, the grid that will export the data is linked to a parent grid, and I needed to grab some information from the parent record to be used as the file name to be exported.

Here is the final code of the javascript code:

window['{grid.componentName}_G_ACTIONBUTTON_EXPORTTOEXCEL_1'] = function(objEle) {

var myGeneratedFilename = ''
var rowNum = {grid.object}._selectedRow;
var rowId = $u.s.tran(rowNum,'-','_');

if(window.beforeExportToExcel ) {
if(beforeExportToExcel() == false) return false;
}

var placeHolderValues = '';
var arguments = '';

//Get a pointer to the parent component object that opened this Grid to get the
//values for the Month and Year being process and make them part of the file name
var po = {grid.object}.getParentObject();
if(po) {
var parentGridRowNum = po._selectedRow;
var monthToBeProcess = po.getValue('G','MONTHTOBEPROCESS',parentGridRowNum);
var yearToBeProcess  = po.getValue('G','YEARTOBEPROCESS',parentGridRowNum);
var monthName = new Array("","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec");
myGeneratedFilename = yearToBeProcess + '_' + monthName[monthToBeProcess] + '_' + 'Roster_Payments';

}

//Note: you will need to ensure this string is HTML safe! Things like spaces will need to be escaped properly
//--- in a format that you would use to set page variables on a web page

var callbackData = '_csfilename=' + myGeneratedFilename + '&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=1&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=N&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_afterExport=afterExportToExcel&_SScustomExport=xbExportFileToExcel';

//Original callback data    
//var callbackData = '_csfilename=Roster%20and%20Payments&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=1&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=N&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_afterExport=afterExportToExcel&_SScustomExport=xbExportFileToExcel';

callbackData = callbackData + '&_placeholderValues='+placeHolderValues + '&_arguments='+arguments;
{grid.Object}.ajaxCallback('G',rowNum,'__a5systemfileExport','',callbackData);
}

Here how the new name shows up now:
CustomGeneratedExcelFileName.png

Of course, it would be a lot simpler and cleaner if the e.exportFilename is exposed in the "Before export" event.

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Dynamic Client-Side FileName in Export to Excel Action Javascript

Of course, it would be a lot simpler and cleaner if the e.exportFilename is exposed in the "Before export" event.

Or if you could define a custom javascript function to generate the name in the GUI.

Is it OK that your filename will be empty if there is no parent object? I don't know what circumstances would lead your parent object to be missing, but you may want to consider something other than nothing (maybe "Roster_Payments" is the default?):

window['{grid.componentName}_G_ACTIONBUTTON_EXPORTTOEXCEL_1'] = function(objEle) {

[COLOR="#FF0000"]var myGeneratedFilename = ''[/COLOR]
var rowNum = {grid.object}._selectedRow;
var rowId = $u.s.tran(rowNum,'-','_');

if(window.beforeExportToExcel ) {
    if(beforeExportToExcel() == false) return false;
}

var placeHolderValues = '';
var arguments = '';

//Get a pointer to the parent component object that opened this Grid to get the
//values for the Month and Year being process and make them part of the file name
var po = {grid.object}.getParentObject();
if(po) {
    var parentGridRowNum = po._selectedRow;
    var monthToBeProcess = po.getValue('G','MONTHTOBEPROCESS',parentGridRowNum);
    var yearToBeProcess  = po.getValue('G','YEARTOBEPROCESS',parentGridRowNum);
    var monthName = new Array("","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec");
    [COLOR="#FF0000"]myGeneratedFilename = yearToBeProcess + '_' + monthName[monthToBeProcess] + '_' + 'Roster_Payments';[/COLOR]
}

//Note: you will need to ensure this string is HTML safe! Things like spaces will need to be escaped properly
//--- in a format that you would use to set page variables on a web page

var callbackData = '_csfilename=' + [COLOR="#FF0000"]myGeneratedFilename[/COLOR] + '&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=1&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=N&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_afterExport=afterExportToExcel&_SScustomExport=xbExportFileToExcel';

//Original callback data    
//var callbackData = '_csfilename=Roster%20and%20Payments&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=1&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=N&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_afterExport=afterExportToExcel&_SScustomExport=xbExportFileToExcel';

callbackData = callbackData + '&_placeholderValues='+placeHolderValues + '&_arguments='+arguments;
{grid.Object}.ajaxCallback('G',rowNum,'__a5systemfileExport','',callbackData);
}

[Progytech]

Re: Dynamic Client-Side FileName in Export to Excel Action Javascript

Hi Sarah,

Is it OK that your filename will be empty there is no parent object?

Good point, but the child grid will never be called by itself it will always be a child grid but nevertheless I assigned a default value as suggested just to be safe.

window['{grid.componentName}_G_ACTIONBUTTON_EXPORTTOEXCEL_1'] = function(objEle) {

[COLOR="#FF0000"]var myGeneratedFilename = 'Roster Payments'[/COLOR]
var rowNum = {grid.object}._selectedRow;
var rowId = $u.s.tran(rowNum,'-','_');

if(window.beforeExportToExcel ) {
if(beforeExportToExcel() == false) return false;
}

var placeHolderValues = '';
var arguments = '';

//Get a pointer to the parent component object that opened this Grid to get the
//values for the Month and Year being process and make them part of the file name
var po = {grid.object}.getParentObject();
if(po) {
var parentGridRowNum = po._selectedRow;
var monthToBeProcess = po.getValue('G','MONTHTOBEPROCESS',parentGridRowNum);
var yearToBeProcess  = po.getValue('G','YEARTOBEPROCESS',parentGridRowNum);
var monthName = new Array("","Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec");
[COLOR="#FF0000"]myGeneratedFilename = yearToBeProcess + '%20' + monthToBeProcess + '-' + monthName[monthToBeProcess] + '%20' + myGeneratedFilename;[/COLOR]

}

//Note: you will need to ensure this string is HTML safe! Things like spaces will need to be escaped properly
//--- in a format that you would use to set page variables on a web page

var callbackData = '_csfilename=' + [COLOR="#FF0000"]myGeneratedFilename[/COLOR] + '&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=1&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=N&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_afterExport=afterExportToExcel&_SScustomExport=xbExportFileToExcel';

//Original callback data    
//var callbackData = '_csfilename=Roster%20and%20Payments&_exportDataType=Excel%2dXLSX&_recordSelection=Records%20in%20current%20query&_exportSource=1&_maxRecords=10000&_exportHiddenFields=N&_useColHeadings=Y&_zip=N&_afterExport=afterExportToExcel&_SScustomExport=xbExportFileToExcel';

callbackData = callbackData + '&_placeholderValues='+placeHolderValues + '&_arguments='+arguments;
{grid.Object}.ajaxCallback('G',rowNum,'__a5systemfileExport','',callbackData);
}

Thanks again!!!