Am I doing this wrong? I cannot open the file.

[AdamKyle]

So I posted this question on stack But it seems that (at the time of this writing) there's nothing wrong with what I am doing. So heres the issue (copied from stack)

I have been following the docs on setting up multiple sheets, but when I go to download the file its:

Excel cannot open the file 'kingdoms (1).xlsx' because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.

I am unsure why.

So heres how I do it:

Controller Method:

public function export() {
    return Excel::download(new KingdomsExport, 'kingdoms.xlsx', \Maatwebsite\Excel\Excel::XLSX);
}

Export Class

class KingdomsExport implements WithMultipleSheets {

    use Exportable;

    /**
     * @return array
     */
    public function sheets(): array {
        $sheets   = [];

        $sheets[] = new BuildingsSheet;

        // .. other commented out sheets.

        return $sheets;
    }
}

Buildings Sheet

class BuildingsSheet implements FromView, WithTitle, ShouldAutoSize {

    /**
     * @return View
     */
    public function view(): View {
        return view('admin.exports.kingdoms.sheets.buildings', [
            'buildings' => GameBuilding::all(),
        ]);
    }

    /**
     * @return string
     */
    public function title(): string {
        return 'Buildings';
    }
}

Buildings view

<table>
    <thead>
    <tr>
        <th>name</th>
        <th>description</th>
        <th>max_level</th>
        <th>base_durability</th>
        <th>base_defence</th>
        <th>required_population</th>
        <th>units_per_level</th>
        <th>only_at_level</th>
        <th>is_resource_building</th>
        <th>trains_units</th>
        <th>is_walls</th>
        <th>is_church</th>
        <th>is_farm</th>
        <th>wood_cost</th>
        <th>clay_cost</th>
        <th>stone_cost</th>
        <th>iron_cost</th>
        <th>time_to_build</th>
        <th>time_increase_amount</th>
        <th>decrease_morale_amount</th>
        <th>increase_population_amount</th>
        <th>increase_morale_amount</th>
        <th>increase_wood_amount</th>
        <th>increase_clay_amount</th>
        <th>increase_stone_amount</th>
        <th>increase_iron_amount</th>
        <th>increase_durability_amount</th>
        <th>increase_defence_amount</th>
    </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
    @foreach($buildings as $building)
        <tr>
            <td>{{$building->name}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->description}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->max_level}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->base_durability}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->base_defence}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->required_population}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->units_per_level}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->only_at_level}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->is_resource_building}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->trains_units}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->is_walls}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->is_church}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->is_farm}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->wood_cost}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->clay_cost}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->stone_cost}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->iron_cost}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->time_to_build}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->time_increase_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->decrease_morale_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_population_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_morale_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_wood_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_clay_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_stone_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_iron_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_durability_amount}}</td>
            <td>{{$building->increase_defence_amount}}</td>
        </tr>
    @endforeach
    </tbody>
</table>

I can't see anything wrong here with any of this, yet the file cannot be opened. I have tried to open it with vi but it's all gibberish. If I try and download as csv, it opens fine. but as I plan to have multiple sheets, it doesn't seem to include them with csv files.

I do have other sheets, but for simplicity I commented them out to see if one of them was having an issue. Alas even with just one sheet, it still won't open. Is it something wrong with how I download the excel file?

[patrickbrouwers]

You might have some hidden chars before the output. Check for whitespaces in front of opening <?php tag. It's a know issue with PHP spreadsheet

[AdamKyle]

@patrickbrouwers

You might have some hidden chars before the output. Check for whitespaces in front of opening <?php tag. It's a know issue with PHP spreadsheet

That didn't help.

Using a mac, using php storm, turned on show white space and theres nothing before the <?php and nothing after the closing the brace for the class.

Any other suggestions?

[AdamKyle]

So this might not be obvious to those who have this issue but:

    $response = Excel::download(new KingdomsExport, 'kingdoms.xlsx', \Maatwebsite\Excel\Excel::XLSX);
    ob_end_clean();

    return $response;

The trick: ob_end_clean. It seems that the buffer does not get properly cleaned up, so there is an extra space added. But doing this, the file downloaded and was able to be opened.

I hope this helps someone.

[CR1ST14ANO]

I was having the same problem. That solved it, thank you very much!