ASP.NET

Export Gridview Records to Text File Using ASP.Net C#

Background

There is often a need in a project's reporting module to export Grid View records to text, so by considering that requirement I decided to write this article especially focusing on beginners and those who want to learn how to export a Grid View to text using ASP.NET C#.

Now before creating the application, let us create a table named employee in a database from where we show the records in a Grid View, the table has the following fields (shown in the following image): 
 


I hope you have created the same type of table.

Now create the project as:
  1. "Start" - "All Programs" - "Microsoft Visual Studio 2010".

  2. "File" - "New Project" - "C#" - "Empty Project" (to avoid adding a master page).

  3. Provide the Project name such as ExportGridRecordsToText or another as you wish and specify the location.

  4. Then right-click on Solution Explorer and select "Add New Item" then select Default.aspx page.

  5. One Button and a grid view.
Now the Default.aspx source code will be as follows:
  1. <%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="Default.aspx.cs" Inherits="ExPortGridviewToText.Default" %>  
  2.   
  3. <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">  
  4. <html>  
  5. <head id="Head1" runat="server">  
  6.     <title></title>  
  7. </head>  
  8. <body bgcolor="Silver">  
  9.     <form id="form1" runat="server">  
  10.     <br />  
  11.     <h2 style="color: #808000; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bolder;">  
  12.         Article by Vithal Wadje</h2>  
  13.     <br />  
  14.     <div>  
  15.         <asp:GridView ID="GridView1" AutoGenerateColumns="false" runat="server" CellPadding="6"  
  16.             ForeColor="#333333" GridLines="None">  
  17.             <AlternatingRowStyle BackColor="White" />  
  18.             <EditRowStyle BackColor="#7C6F57" />  
  19.             <FooterStyle BackColor="#1C5E55" Font-Bold="True" ForeColor="White" />  
  20.             <HeaderStyle BackColor="#1C5E55" Font-Bold="True" ForeColor="White" />  
  21.             <PagerStyle BackColor="#666666" ForeColor="White" HorizontalAlign="Center" />  
  22.             <RowStyle BackColor="#E3EAEB" />  
  23.             <SelectedRowStyle BackColor="#C5BBAF" Font-Bold="True" ForeColor="#333333" />  
  24.             <SortedAscendingCellStyle BackColor="#F8FAFA" />  
  25.             <SortedAscendingHeaderStyle BackColor="#246B61" />  
  26.             <SortedDescendingCellStyle BackColor="#D4DFE1" />  
  27.             <SortedDescendingHeaderStyle BackColor="#15524A" />  
  28.             <Columns>  
  29.                 <asp:BoundField DataField="id" HeaderText="id" />  
  30.                 <asp:BoundField DataField="Name" HeaderText="Name" />  
  31.                 <asp:BoundField DataField="City" HeaderText="City" />  
  32.                 <asp:BoundField DataField="Address" HeaderText="Address" />  
  33.                 <asp:BoundField DataField="Designation" HeaderText="Designation" />  
  34.             </Columns>  
  35.         </asp:GridView>  
  36.         <br />  
  37.                    <asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server"  
  38.             Text="Export To Text" OnClick="Button1_Click" />  
  39.     </div>  
  40.     </form>  
  41. </body>  
  42. </html> 

 If you are a beginner and don't understand in detail how to bind a Grid View from a database then refer to my following article.

Now, for this article create the following function in the default.aspx.cs page to bind the Grid View:

  1.       private void Bindgrid()  
  2.         {  
  3.             connection();  
  4.             query = "select *from Employee";//not recommended this i have written just for example,write stored procedure for security  
  5.             com = new SqlCommand(query, con);  
  6.             SqlDataAdapter da = new SqlDataAdapter(query, con);  
  7.             DataSet ds = new DataSet();             
  8.             da.Fill(ds);  
  9.             GridView1.DataSource = ds;  
  10.             GridView1.DataBind();  
  11.             con.Close();  
  12.               
  13.         }  
  14.          
 Now, call the preceding function on page load as:
  1. protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)  
  2.       {  
  3.           if (!IsPostBack)  
  4.           {  
  5.               Bindgrid();  
  6.   
  7.           }  
  8.       } 
 Now create the following function to export the Grid View records to Text:
  1. private void ExportGridToText()  
  2.       {  
  3.           Bindgrid();  
  4.           Response.Clear();  
  5.           Response.Buffer = true;  
  6.           Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename=Vithal_Wadje.txt");  
  7.           Response.Charset = "";  
  8.           Response.ContentType = "application/text";  
  9.           GridView1.AllowPaging = false;  
  10.           GridView1.DataBind();  
  11.            
  12.           StringBuilder Rowbind = new StringBuilder();  
  13.           for (int k = 0; k < GridView1.Columns.Count; k++)  
  14.           {  
  15.                
  16.               Rowbind.Append(GridView1.Columns[k].HeaderText + ' ');  
  17.           }  
  18.            
  19.           Rowbind.Append("\r\n");  
  20.           for (int i = 0; i < GridView1.Rows.Count; i++)  
  21.           {  
  22.               for (int k = 0; k < GridView1.Columns.Count; k++)  
  23.               {  
  24.                     
  25.                   Rowbind.Append(GridView1.Rows[i].Cells[k].Text + ' ');  
  26.               }  
  27.               
  28.               Rowbind.Append("\r\n");  
  29.           }  
  30.           Response.Output.Write(Rowbind.ToString());  
  31.           Response.Flush();  
  32.           Response.End();  
  33.          
  34.       } 
 We have created the preceding function to export GridView records to text. Now call the preceding function on the Export Text button click as:
  1. protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)  
  2.       {  
  3.   
  4.           ExportGridToText();  
  5.   
  6.       } 
The entire code of the default.aspx page will look as follows:
  1. using System;  
  2. using System.IO;  
  3. using System.Data;  
  4. using System.Threading;  
  5. using System.Data.SqlClient;  
  6. using System.Configuration;  
  7. using System.Text;  
  8. using System.Web.UI.WebControls;  
  9.   
  10. namespace ExPortGridviewToText  
  11. {  
  12.     public partial class Default : System.Web.UI.Page  
  13.     {  
  14.         private SqlConnection con;  
  15.         private SqlCommand com;  
  16.         private string constr, query;  
  17.         private void connection()  
  18.         {  
  19.             constr = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["getconn"].ToString();  
  20.             con = new SqlConnection(constr);  
  21.             con.Open();  
  22.   
  23.         }  
  24.         protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)  
  25.         {  
  26.             if (!IsPostBack)  
  27.             {  
  28.                 Bindgrid();  
  29.   
  30.             }  
  31.         }  
  32.   
  33.   
  34.         private void Bindgrid()  
  35.         {  
  36.             connection();  
  37.             query = "select *from Employee";//not recommended this i have written just for example,write stored procedure for security  
  38.             com = new SqlCommand(query, con);  
  39.             SqlDataAdapter da = new SqlDataAdapter(query, con);  
  40.             DataSet ds = new DataSet();  
  41.             da.Fill(ds);  
  42.             GridView1.DataSource = ds;  
  43.             GridView1.DataBind();  
  44.             con.Close();  
  45.   
  46.         }  
  47.   
  48.         protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)  
  49.         {  
  50.   
  51.             ExportGridToText();  
  52.   
  53.         }  
  54.         private void ExportGridToText()  
  55.         {  
  56.             Bindgrid();  
  57.             Response.Clear();  
  58.             Response.Buffer = true;  
  59.             Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename=Vithal_Wadje.txt");  
  60.             Response.Charset = "";  
  61.             Response.ContentType = "application/text";  
  62.             GridView1.AllowPaging = false;  
  63.             GridView1.DataBind();  
  64.   
  65.             StringBuilder Rowbind = new StringBuilder();  
  66.             for (int k = 0; k < GridView1.Columns.Count; k++)  
  67.             {  
  68.   
  69.                 Rowbind.Append(GridView1.Columns[k].HeaderText + ' ');  
  70.             }  
  71.   
  72.             Rowbind.Append("\r\n");  
  73.             for (int i = 0; i < GridView1.Rows.Count; i++)  
  74.             {  
  75.                 for (int k = 0; k < GridView1.Columns.Count; k++)  
  76.                 {  
  77.   
  78.                     Rowbind.Append(GridView1.Rows[i].Cells[k].Text + ' ');  
  79.                 }  
  80.   
  81.                 Rowbind.Append("\r\n");  
  82.             }  
  83.             Response.Output.Write(Rowbind.ToString());  
  84.             Response.Flush();  
  85.             Response.End();  
  86.   
  87.         }  
  88.   
  89.   
  90.     }  
  91. } 
 Now run the application and then we can see the following records in the Grid view:
 
 
Now click on the export text button, the following popup will appear: 
 
 
 
Now click the OK button, the following records are exported to the Text file: 
 
 
 
Now you see that all the records of the Grid View are exported to the text file.

Notes
  • Download the Zip file from the attachment for the full source code of the application.
  • Change the connection string in the web.config file to specify your server location.
Summary

I hope this article is useful for all readers, if you have any suggestion then please contact me including beginners also.

Up Next
    Ebook Download
    View all
    Learn
    View all
    Get Started

    You need to be a premium member to use this feature. To access it, you'll have to upgrade your membership.

    Become a sharper developer and jumpstart your career.

    Basic

    $0

    $

    . 00

    monthly

    For Basic members:

    • Standard Profile
    • Access learning courses
    • Access free e-books
    • 1x point
    Premium

    $20

    $

    . 00

    monthly

    For Premium members:

    • Earn 2x reward points
    • Premium profile with Verified check
    • Premium Avatar with status update
    • Learning courses
    • Unlimited Certifications and badges on profile
    • Unlimited Book downloads
    • Access to Premium content
    • Online Training
    • Unlimited PDF conversions and downloads
    • Professional Resume Writing
    • Interview Preparations Guide
    • 25 messages per month
    • 1 "Kodzu" avatar, basic
    Elite

    $45

    $

    . 00

    monthly

    For Elite members:

    • Bundle E-books
    • Access to all Learn Series
    • Unlimited Apply Jobs