Open file in browser

Guys,

This must be a quick fix . . .

I am creating an excel file and saving it back to a share on the web server. I was then trying to open this xls file in the browser (response.redirect) so the user could view the results and do a "save as" to their local machine if required. The ability to view the results in the browser window would be best, alternatively I could just bang a button on screen that would then launch the created file (unc path) in excel, but that gets messy.

In the code below, sFile is the string containing the path/filename we save to, then rFile is the UNC path to that file.


Could anybody suggest a solution to this please ?
Thanks
Bob

VB Code:

Dim oExcel As New Excel.Application
        Dim oBooks As Excel.Workbooks, oBook As Excel.Workbook
        Dim oSheets As Excel.Sheets, oSheet As Excel.Worksheet
        Dim oCells As Excel.Range
        Dim sFile As String, sTemplate As String
        sFile = Server.MapPath(Request.ApplicationPath) & "RESULTS\" & CType(Qid, String) & " - " & CType(Session("ReportName"), String) & " RESULTS.xls"
        sTemplate = Server.MapPath(Request.ApplicationPath) & _
          "\HPTResults.xlt"
        Dim rFile As String 'Results File
        rFile = "\\bls2mbr25\RESULTS\" & CType(Qid, String) & " - " & CType(Session("ReportName"), String) & " RESULTS.xls"
 
        oExcel.Visible = False : oExcel.DisplayAlerts = False
 
        'Start a new workbook 
        oBooks = oExcel.Workbooks
        oBooks.Open(Server.MapPath(Request.ApplicationPath) & _
        "\HPTResults.xlt") 'Load template
        oBook = oBooks.Item(1)
        oSheets = oBook.Worksheets
        oSheet = CType(oSheets.Item("rawdata"), Excel.Worksheet)
 
        'Do all the data export here.
        'Export Team Answers
        Dim x As Integer
        Dim y As Integer
        Dim range As String
        For x = 0 To Answers.GetUpperBound(0)
            y = x + 2
            range = "A" & y & ":D" & y
            oSheet.Range(range).Value = Answers(x)
        Next
 
        'Export TeamLeader Answers
        For x = 0 To Leader.GetUpperBound(0)
            y = x + 2
            range = "E" & y & ":G" & y
            oSheet.Range(range).Value = Leader(x)
        Next
 
        oSheet.SaveAs(sFile)
        oBook.Close()
 
        'Quit Excel and thoroughly deallocate everything 
        oExcel.Quit()
 
        ReleaseComObject(oSheet)
        ReleaseComObject(oSheets) : ReleaseComObject(oBook)
        ReleaseComObject(oBooks) : ReleaseComObject(oExcel)
        oExcel = Nothing : oBooks = Nothing : oBook = Nothing
        oSheets = Nothing : oSheet = Nothing
        System.GC.Collect()
 
        Label7.Text = rFile
        Response.Redirect(rFile) 'Send the user to the file 
 
    End Sub

Your code seems fine, but what is the problem?

Thanks for the response MH,

The problem is, I get a "File not found" error when trying to send the user to the xls file.

Is this because I am using Response.Redirect to a unc path rather than url ?

If I use a hyperlink and do this . . HyperLink1.NavigateUrl = rFile, when it is clicked I get a dialogue asking if I want to open or save the xls file, I think this would be the ideal solution. If they click open, it opens the xls file in the browser, if save then they can save it to their local machine. But how do I do this programatically without the user having to click this hyperlink ???

Thanks again,
Bob

I know it may sound like a crude workaround, but instead of doing a Response.Redirect, add some javascript to the page load event...

document.location.href='path to xls';

I'm assuming you know how.

Thanks mate, thats sounds like it would be sweet as . . . but please asume I know nothing . . . especially Javascript !

I will try to find my way around now mate, incase you don't get chance to reply.

Thanks
Jason

OK. Look at the code you've posted in the first post of this thread. Remove the Response.Redirect from there, and replace it with this:

VB Code:

Page.RegisterStartupScript("myScript","<script language=javascript>document.location.href=" & rFile & ";</script>")

Be sure to check on the value of rfile...