im working on a Rails project that should create XMl files, or to be more specific
use existing XMl templates and put content from the database in it.
So i dont need to create the xml structure, basically just rendering a template with content.
What would be the smartest way to do that?
So far i have a file.xml.erb in my layout folder
and i have a custom route "/renderXML" that does
def renderXML
#reading_question = ReadingQuestion.find(params[:id])
render :file => 'layouts/question.xml'
end
This works, but i also want to save the file, not only show it (actually viewing it is not really needed).
For saving i found this
File.open('fixed.xml','w'){|f| f.write builder.to_xml}
How do i access the rendered file and save it with some method like above?
Perhaps something like:
s = render_to_string :file => 'layouts/question.xml'
File.open('fixed.xml','w'){|f| f.write s}
render :text => s
Another approach :
send_data fixed, :type => 'text/xml; charset=UTF-8;', :disposition =>
"attachment; filename=fixed.xml"
Related
I am trying to download a file filled with a string. However, no matter which way I try, the file ends up blank.
Here is the relevant code:
def export(notes)
stream = render_to_string(:template=>"cards/export.enex.erb", :locals => {:notes => notes}, :formats => [:enex])
send_data(stream.to_s, :filename => "notes.enex")
end
I have been using Rails.logger.info to try to track down the problem and have confirmed that stream is not empty and (when prompted to) my log shows that the file was sent full of the correct data. I am using a custom mime type (enex) and that is all set up correctly in config. I've tried several different methods and nothing works. Here are some other attempts:
(1)
#notes = notes
render file: "cards/export", formats: [:enex], type: 'text/plain', disposition: 'attatchment; filename=cards.enex'
(2)
render template: "cards/export", formats: [:enex], :locals => {:notes => notes}, type: 'text/plain', disposition: "attatchment", filename: "notes.enex"
(3)
send_file 'app/views/cards/export.enex.erb', type: 'application/enex', disposition: "attachment; filename=notecards.enex", :x_sendfile=>true
In each case, the file ends up blank.
As you can see, the string I am using is created by filling out an erb form. If it matters, "notes" is a hash that I use to fill out the form. I know how to get this to work by using a button on a view and a respond_to in the controller but I am purposely not using the database and would prefer to solve the problem using a private controller method as shown.
I am using Rails 4
Can you see anything that would cause the send_data to fail?
Try using send_file but instead of giving it the path to the erb, give it the path to the file you generated with that template and specify the type as application/xml or text/xml. I don't have experience with enex files, but I think this may simplify the issue.
file = "my_file.enex"
File.open(file, "w") do |f|
f << render_to_string(:template=>"cards/export.enex.erb", :locals => {:notes => notes}, :formats => [:enex])
end
send_file(file.path, type: "application/xml")
Instead of displaying the xml file rendered by the index.api.rsb file in my browser, i want to download it. To me this sounds very simple, but I cant find a solution.
I tried the following in the controller-method:
def split
if params[:export] == "yes"
send_file *here comes the path to xml view*, :filename => "filename", :type => :xml
end
respond_to ...
end
The result is a MissingFile exception...
Thanks in advance
Note that :disposition for send_file defaults to 'attachment', so that shouldn't be a problem.
If you have a MissingFile exception, that means the path is incorrect. send_file expects the path to an actual file, not a view that needs to be rendered.
For your case, render_to_string might be what you need. Refer to this related question. It renders the view and returns a string instead of setting the response body.
def split
if params[:export] == "yes"
send_data(render_to_string path_to_view, filename: "object.xml", type: :xml)
end
end
To force it to download it, add :disposition => attachment to your send_file method.
Source: Force a link to download an MP3 rather than play it?
I'm working on my first application and I need some help with allowing my users to download a text file with certain variables that are being displayed on the page.
Take a shopping list for example.
Let's say you allow your users to create a shopping list of products, and then display the shopping list with the items on a shopping list page,
e.g. localhost:3000/list/my-list
Take a look at the example code below (which is probably incorrect):
File.open('shopping_list.txt', 'w') do |file|
file.puts 'Item 1: #{product_1.name}'
file.puts 'Item 2: #{product_2.name}'
file.puts 'Item 3: #{product_3.name}'
end
Which then creates a text file that has the following content:
Item 1: Eggs
Item 2: Butter
Item 3: Bread
Users should then be able to download this file (i don't want this file to be stored on the server) via a download link.
I have no idea how to achieve this, but I'm hoping you guys can guide me. :D
TL;DR
create text files populated with model data (perhaps create a method to achieve this?)
text files should not be stored on the server, but created as users click the download button (not sure if this is the rails way but perhaps someone could show me a better way)
I am assuming there is a resource for List with the attribute name as the name of the list and a list has_many Item which has an attribute description
First off, create a download path change your routes config/routes.rb
resources :lists do
member {get "download"}
end
Now if you run a rake routes in the console you should see a route like
/lists/:id/download
Whats more you should now have the helpers download_list_url & download_list_path to use in your view like
<ul>
<% #lists.each do |list| %>
<li> <%= list.name %> - <%= link_to 'Download List', download_list_path(list) %> </li>
<% end %>
</ul>
In your lists_controller add the action, and as you dont actually want to keep the file on the server disk just stream the data as a string
def download
list = List.find(params[:id])
send_data list.as_file,
:filename => "#{list.name}.txt",
:type => "text/plain"
end
Finally you see I have used a as_file method which you should add to the model (I prefer not to do this stuff in controllers, fat models, skinny controllers). So in the List model
def as_file
output = [self.name]
self.items.each {|item| output << item.description }
output.join("\n")
end
You say you don't want to store the file on the server, but "download" it on request; this sounds like you just want to generate and deliver a text document in response to the download link. There are several approaches, but you want to be sure of setting the mime-type so the browser sees it as a text file instead of an html document.
product_info = [
"Item 1: #{product_1.name}",
"Item 2: #{product_2.name}",
"Item 3: #{product_3.name}",
].join("\n")
render :text => product_info # implies :content_type => Mime::Type["text/plain"]
BTW, your example with open/puts above won't output what you think since single-quoted strings don't interpolate.
so, you wish to :
create text files populated with model data (perhaps create a method
to achieve this?)
text files should not be stored on the server, but
created as users click the download button (not sure if this is the
rails way but perhaps someone could show me a better way)
You have the right idea, here's what to do :
Create a method in your model to generate the text file contents. Let's say this method is called list_data
It seems like you have an existing controller action called my_list. Hence we can call our new method in the controller like so :
.
def my_list
# pre-existing code
respond_to do |format|
format.html # show html page as before
format.text do
send_data #list.list_data, :content_type => 'text/plain', :filename => 'my-shopping-list.txt'
end
end
end
To link to the download, just use link_to :action => my_list, :format => 'text'
See http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionController/DataStreaming.html#method-i-send_data for full docs on send_data
Caveat & explanations : Using the method above, there isn't really an explicit creation of files, Rails is streaming it for you. Hence this method is not suitable for very large files, or when the generation of the file content will take a while. Use a delayed method to generate the file and store it - the file contents somewhere if that's the case - but we can use send_data once it has been generated
You could try a combination of TempFile and send_file. In your controller action ..
file = Tempfile.new('foo')
file.write("hello world")
file.close
send_file file.path
At Rails 2.3 you can use Template Streaming. Working with Redmine I can remember something like that, you have to adapt for your case. Reference: Streaming and file downloads
require "prawn"
class ClientsController < ApplicationController
# Generate a PDF document with information on the client and return it.
# The user will get the PDF as a file download.
def download_pdf
client = Client.find(params[:id])
send_data(generate_pdf, :filename => "#{client.name}.pdf", :type => "application/pdf")
end
private
def generate_pdf(client)
Prawn::Document.new do
text client.name, :align => :center
text "Address: #{client.address}"
text "Email: #{client.email}"
end.render
end
end
Using the Thong Kuah you must just change the "content_type" param:
def my_list
# pre-existing code
respond_to do |format|
format.html # show html page as before
format.text do
send_data #list.list_data, :content_type => 'text/plain', :filename => 'my-shopping-list.txt'
end
end
end
This is tough one to explain so i'll try my best, and hopefully edit the question if people need more information. I am not providing exact code, but merely an example of the issue.
I am using rails 2.3.8. I am on Unix.
I have a bunch of files under a directory not Apache accessible. (i.e. /data/files/file.rpk)
I have the following in my view.
link_to "RPK File", :controller => 'mycontroller', :action=> 'myaction', :file => '/data/files/file.rpk'
I have the following in my controller.
def myaction
if FileTest.exists?(params[:file])
render :file => params[:file]
end
end
When i select the link on the page i get a download prompt for my desired file, but the name of the file is "myaction" instead of the filename.
Thoughts on how i could get it named correctly?
Sounds like a job for send_file. The x_sendfile option prevents that your workers keep busy while transferring the actual file. You can read more about that in this blogpost.
send_file path_to_file_on_filesystem, :type => "application/zip", :x_sendfile => true
You want to use send_data with the :filename option. See the API documentation.
You want to be extremely careful with this, though. Never ever trust the client/user! They will send file=../../../../etc/group or something in order to read arbitrary files on your system, so be very sure to sanitize that value before passing it to any file-reading methods.
I've done this:
<% response.headers['Content-Disposition'] = "attachment;
filename=somefile.txt" -%>
I am a text file!
I'd like to force the download of a file in my public folder without revealing the path, so I've got a controller than checks some params to know the location of my file (in my public folder) and then I'd like to force the download:
<% response.headers['Content-Disposition'] = "attachment;
filename=#{#invoice.file_name}" %>
How do I get the file content to be here rather than this text?
Is there a way to do that?
I think that send_file would do what you want.
send_file '/path/to.file', :type => 'text/plain', :disposition => 'inline'
Defining the headers isn't the view's job. Doing it in the controller would be much cleaner.
In fact you don't need any html view to render that kind of files.
Doing something like this would be more appropriate :
def action
response.headers['Content-Disposition'] = 'attachment; filename=somefile.txt'
return render(:text => File.read('/path/to/your/file.txt')
end
You keep your thing clean (not having job code in your view) and appropriately force the download on your file.