To implement exporting data as an Excel or CSV file in Laravel, the most efficient way is to use the maatwebsite/excel package. 1. Install the Laravel Excel package: Run composer requires maatwebsite/excel, and optionally publish configuration files. 2. Create an export class: Use php artisan make:export UsersExport --model=User to generate the export class, and define the data query in the collection method, and set the header in the headings method. 3. Create controller and route: Generate ExportController and define export and exportCsv methods in it, call Excel::download to return xlsx or csv files, and then register the corresponding route in web.php. 4. Optional optimization: Data mapping and style settings are performed by implementing interfaces such as WithMapping and WithStyles. 5. Processing large data sets: Use FromQuery instead of FromCollection to stream queries to reduce memory consumption. 6. Manual CSV export (no package required): Manually output CSV through the fputcsv function, but the function is limited and not suitable for big data. Finally, it is recommended to use the Laravel Excel package to achieve efficient and extensible export functions.

Exporting data to Excel or CSV in Laravel is a common requirement for reporting or data backup. While Laravel doesn't include built-in export functionality, you can easily achieve this using popular packages like maatwebsite/excel (also known as Laravel Excel). Here's how to do it step by step.

? Install Laravel Excel Package

The easiest way is to use the Maatwebsite/Laravel-Excel package, which supports both Excel (XLSX) and CSV formats.

Run the following command in your Laravel project:

 composer requires maatwebsite/excel

Note: For Laravel 9 , make sure you're using version 3.1 or higher of the package.

Optionally, publish the config file (not required for basic use):

 php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Maatwebsite\Excel\ExcelServiceProvider"

? Create an Export Class

Use Artisan to generate an export class:

 php artisan make:export UsersExport --model=User

This creates a file in app/Exports/UsersExport.php .

Edit the file:

 <?php

namespace App\Exports;

use App\Models\User; // Use your actual model
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\FromCollection;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithHeadings;

class UsersExport implements FromCollection, WithHeadings
{
    public function collection()
    {
        return User::select(&#39;id&#39;, &#39;name&#39;, &#39;email&#39;, &#39;created_at&#39;)->get();
    }

    public function headings(): array
    {
        Return [
            &#39;ID&#39;,
            &#39;Name&#39;,
            &#39;Email&#39;,
            &#39;Created At&#39;
        ];
    }
}

You can customize the collection() method to filter or format data as needed.

? Set Up a Route and Controller

Generate a controller (if not already created):

 php artisan make:controller ExportController

In app/Http/Controllers/ExportController.php :

 <?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use App\Exports\UsersExport;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Facades\Excel;

class ExportController extends Controller
{
    public function export()
    {
        return Excel::download(new UsersExport, &#39;users.xlsx&#39;);
    }

    // For CSV export
    public function exportCsv()
    {
        return Excel::download(new UsersExport, &#39;users.csv&#39;);
    }
}

Add routes in routes/web.php :

 use App\Http\Controllers\ExportController;

Route::get('/export/users', [ExportController::class, 'export']);
Route::get('/export/users/csv', [ExportController::class, 'exportCsv']);

Now visit:

• /export/users → downloads an Excel file
• /export/users/csv → downloads a CSV file

? Optional: Customize Export Format

You can apply formatting, styles, or sheets using additional concerns like:

• WithStyles
• ShouldAutoSize
• WithMapping

Example with mapping (to transform data):

 use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithMapping;

class UsersExport implements FromCollection, WithHeadings, WithMapping
{
    public function collection()
    {
        return User::all();
    }

    public function map($user): array
    {
        Return [
            $user->id,
            $user->name,
            $user->email,
            $user->created_at->format('Ym-d'),
        ];
    }

    public function headings(): array
    {
        return ['ID', 'Name', 'Email', 'Created At'];
    }
}

? Alternative: Manual CSV Export (No Package)

If you prefer not to use a package, you can manually generate a CSV:

 public function exportCsvManual()
{
    $users = User::select('id', 'name', 'email', 'created_at')->get();

    $filename = 'users.csv';
    $handle = fopen('php://output', 'w');
    fputcsv($handle, ['ID', 'Name', 'Email', 'Created At']);

    foreach ($users as $user) {
        fputcsv($handle, [
            $user->id,
            $user->name,
            $user->email,
            $user->created_at
        ]);
    }

    fclose($handle);

    return response()
        ->stream(function() use ($handle) {
            // Output is already handled above
        }, 200, [
            "Content-Type" => "text/csv",
            "Content-Disposition" => "attachment; filename=$filename",
        ]);
}

This approach works but lacks advanced features like Excel styling or handling large datasets efficiently.

? Handling Large Datasets

For large exports, use FromQuery instead of FromCollection to avoid memory issues:

 use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\FromQuery;

class UsersExport implements FromQuery, WithHeadings
{
    public function query()
    {
        return User::query()->select('id', 'name', 'email', 'created_at');
    }

    public function headings(): array
    {
        return ['ID', 'Name', 'Email', 'Created At'];
    }
}

This streams the data directly from the database.

Basically, Laravel Excel is the cleanest and most powerful way to export to Excel or CSV. It handles formatting, large datasets, and multiple file types with minimal code. Just install, create an export class, and trigger it from a route.

The above is the detailed content of How to export data to Excel or CSV in Laravel?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!