How to return an Excel file from ASP.NET Core Web API web-app?

Question

In similar questions, with this code works to download a PDF:

I'm testing with local files (.xlsx, .pdf, .zip) inside the Controller folder.

Similar Question Here

[HttpGet("downloadPDF")]
public FileResult TestDownloadPCF()
{
   HttpContext.Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
   FileContentResult result = new FileContentResult
   (System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes("Controllers/test.pdf"), "application/pdf")
    {
      FileDownloadName = "test.pdf"
    };
   return result;
}

But when another file?, for example an Excel File(.xlsx) or ZIP File(.zip), testing does not work properly.

Code :

[HttpGet("downloadOtherFile")]
public FileResult TestDownloadOtherFile()
{
  HttpContext.Response.ContentType = 
  "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet";
  FileContentResult result = new FileContentResult(System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes("Controllers/test.xlsx"), 
  "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet")
  {
    FileDownloadName = "otherfile"
   };
  return result;
}

Result:

I also did tests with the following Content-Type:

• "Application / vnd.ms-excel"
• "Application / vnd.ms-excel.12"

Getting the same result.

Which is the right way to return any file type?

Thanks for your answers

Answer 1

My (working) solution:

• I've got a class that dynamically creates an XLSX file using EPPlus.Core.
  • This returns a FileInfo for the generated file's path.

This is what is in my Controller:

[HttpGet("test")]
public async Task<FileResult> Get()
{
    var contentRootPath = _hostingEnvironment.ContentRootPath;

    // "items" is a List<T> of DataObjects
    var items = await _mediator.Send(new GetExcelRequest());

    var fileInfo = new ExcelFileCreator(contentRootPath).Execute(items);
    var bytes = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(fileInfo.FullName);

    const string contentType = "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet";
    HttpContext.Response.ContentType = contentType;
    HttpContext.Response.Headers.Add("Access-Control-Expose-Headers", "Content-Disposition");

    var fileContentResult = new FileContentResult(bytes, contentType)
    {
        FileDownloadName = fileInfo.Name
    };

    return fileContentResult;
}

And here is what I have in Angular2:

downloadFile() {
    debugger;
    var headers = new Headers();
    headers.append('responseType', 'arraybuffer');

    let url = new URL('api/excelFile/test', environment.apiUrl);

    return this.http
        .get(url.href, {
            withCredentials: true,
            responseType: ResponseContentType.ArrayBuffer
        })
        .subscribe((response) => {
            let file = new Blob([response.blob()], { type: 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet' });
            let fileName = response.headers.get('Content-Disposition').split(';')[1].trim().split('=')[1];
            saveAs(file, fileName);
        },
        err => this.errorHandler.onError(err)
        );
}

Answer 2

I had this same issue. My issue was being caused by the client request, not the server response. I solved it by adding a response content type to my Get request's header options. Here is my example in Angular 2.

Request from client (Angular 2) **requires filesaver.js library

this._body = '';

    let rt: ResponseContentType = 2; // This is what I had to add ResponseContentType (2 = ArrayBuffer , Blob = 3)
        options.responseType = rt;
    if (url.substring(0, 4) !== 'http') {
        url = config.getApiUrl(url);
    }

    this.http.get(url, options).subscribe(
        (response: any) => {
            let mediaType = 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet';
            let blob = new Blob([response._body], { type: mediaType });
            let filename = 'test.xlsx';
            fileSaver.saveAs(blob, filename);
        });

Server side code. (.net core)

    [HttpGet("{dataViewId}")]
    public IActionResult GetData(string dataViewId)
    {
        var fileName = $"test.xlsx";
        var filepath = $"controllers/test/{fileName}";
        var mimeType = "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet";

        byte[] fileBytes = System.IO.File.ReadAllBytes(filepath);
        return File(fileBytes, mimeType, fileName);
    }

here are the references if you want to see.

Corrupted download in AngularJs app

C# File Download is Corrupt