How to export to excel in Asp.Net MVC?

Question

SCRIPT

function PostExportValues(meter_id, range_type_id, start_date, end_date, returnUrl) {
    var meter = $("#meter_selection").val()[0];
    $.ajax({
        url: '@Url.Action("GridExportToExcel", "Widget")',
        type: 'POST',
        data: { MeterType: meter_id, DateRangeType: range_type_id, StartDate: start_date, EndDate: end_date, returnUrl: returnUrl, Meter: meter },
        success: function () {
            alert("Success.");
        },
        error: function () {
            alert("Error!");
        }
    });   //end ajax
} //end PostExportValues

CONTROLLER

public void GridExportToExcel(int MeterType, int DateRangeType, DateTime? StartDate, DateTime? EndDate, string returnUrl, int Meter)
{
    Customers customer = CustomerManager.GetCustomer(WebSecurity.CurrentUserId);
    //if start date is null, then set it to another early date.
    DateTime startDate = DateTimeManager.GetStartDate(StartDate, DateRangeType, customer.sno);
    //if end date is null, then set to date time now.
    DateTime endDate = DateTimeManager.GetEndDate(EndDate, StartDate);

    IQueryable<MeterReadingsForChart> meterReadings = MeterReadingManager.GetCustomerMeterReadings(customer.sno, MeterType, Meter, startDate, endDate, DateTimeManager.GetTimeIntervalTypeById(DateRangeType)).AsQueryable(); // MeterReadingManager.GetCustomerTotalMeterReadings(customer.sno, MeterType, startDate, endDate, DateTimeManager.GetTimeIntervalTypeById(DateRangeType)).AsQueryable();
    var table = MeterReadingManager.GetMeterReadingsPivot(meterReadings, MeterType);

    //table output some thing like following:
    //T1 T2 T3
    //10 20 25
    //13 23 21
    //15 26 27

    var grid = new GridView();
    grid.DataSource = table;
    grid.DataBind();

    Response.ClearContent();
    Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment; filename=MyExcelFile.xls");

    Response.ContentType = "application/excel";
    StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();
    HtmlTextWriter htw = new HtmlTextWriter(sw);

    grid.RenderControl(htw);

    Response.Write(sw.ToString());
    Response.End();

    //return View("Index");
}

Method GridExportToExcel is working and script alert message is Success. , but there is no action(nothing happens).

What am I missing? I expect that excel file automaticly download.

Thanks...

Answer 1

You cant call a file download on a ajax query because the browser wont trigger the file download. dont use an ajax call to your controller method, you can use like

window.open("url/Exporttoexcel?id=");

with adding paramaters.