Report - Problems with CSV export

Question

Hi all,
I've tried to export a report as csv-file, but I need special formatting (every column has a given length). I found an example that's creating a csv in a before header process, using this code:
declare
date_from DATE;
date_to DATE;
begin
  date_from := TO_DATE(:P1_DATE_FROM, 'DD-MON-YYYY');
  date_to   := TO_DATE(:P1_DATE_TO, 'DD-MON-YYYY');
  owa_util.mime_header( 'application/excel', FALSE );
  htp.p('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=hsfvkr.csv');
  owa_util.http_header_close;
for x in ( SELECT   LPAD(VERTR, 8, 0) VERTR,
                    LPAD(KONTO, 10, 0) KONTO,
                    RPAD(NAME_1, 32, ' ') NAME,
                    RPAD(ORT, 32, ' ') ORT,
                    AUF_ART,
                    RPAD(AUFNR, 8, ' ') AUFNR,
                    RPAD(RG_NR, 8, 0) RG_NR,
                    TO_CHAR(RG_DAT, 'DDMMYY') RG_DATE,
                    MENGE,
                    RPAD(IDENTNR, 22, ' ') IDENTNR,
                    RPAD(VAR, 6, ' ') VAR,
                    RPAD(BEN, 30, ' ') BEN,
                    DECODE(NVL(LENGTH(ABMESSUNG), 0), 0, RPAD(' ', 30, ' '),
                                                      RPAD(ABMESSUNG, 30, ' ')) ABMESSUNG,
                    VKPREIS,
                    PWERT_ARAB,
                    ZNR
             FROM   EXPORT_CSV_HSFVKR
             WHERE  VERTR = :P1_VERTRETER
             AND    RG_DAT >= date_from
             AND    RG_DAT <= date_to )
  loop
    htp.p( x.VERTR      || ';' ||
           x.KONTO      || ';' ||
           x.NAME       || ';' ||
           x.ORT        || ';' ||
           x.AUF_ART    || ';' ||
           x.AUFNR      || ';' || 
           x.RG_NR      || ';' ||
           x.RG_DATE    || ';' ||
           x.MENGE      || ';' ||
           x.IDENTNR    || ';' ||
           x.VAR        || ';' ||
           x.BEN        || ';' ||
           x.ABMESSUNG  || ';' ||
           x.VKPREIS    || ';' ||
           x.PWERT_ARAB || ';' ||
           x.ZNR        || CHR(13) );
  end loop;
htmldb_application.g_unrecoverable_error := true;
end;The export is working fine, but opening the file with a hex editor there are some strange signs at the start of the file (FF FE - ÿþ) and after every signs there's a 00 written.
Does anybody know what to do that 00 isn't written after every sign???
So it's looking quite good in Excel our customer can't import the csv because of the additional signs.
Thanks
chrissy
chrissy

Answer 1

I did something similar to what you are trying to achive but had the following lines different.
I don't know it will be of nay help, but you can try it.
begin
-- Set the MIME type
owa_util.mime_header( 'application/octet', FALSE );
-- Set the name of the file
htp.p('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="tes.csv"');
-- Close the HTTP Header
owa_util.http_header_close;
-- Loop through all rows in for test view
I also used chr(10) which is LF for end of line instead of CR.