How to send downloaded excel file to mail using phpMailer liabrary? - php

Question

I have a code that generates excel file from mysql database and downloads the file. I want to send that file in my email after the file is downloaded. I am using PHPMailer liabrary for doing this. I tested PHPMailer module individually its working fine, the mail is going but when i attached that module with my existing code where the excel file is downloading its not working as intended. It gives me error "The site can't be reached." If i remove the attchment line from my code it works fine. The file is downloaded and the mail is sent. But i want that file to be attached in my email. Here is my code i'm using
<?php
require("PHPMailer/src/SMTP.php");
require("PHPMailer/src/PHPMailer.php");
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\SMTP;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
$mail = new PHPMailer();
$conn = new mysqli('localhost', 'root', 'root');
mysqli_select_db($conn, 'dailyplay');
$setSql = "SELECT id, name, description FROM genres";
$setRec = mysqli_query($conn, $setSql);
$columnHeader = "ID"."\t"."Name"."\t"."Description";
$setData = '';
while ($rec = mysqli_fetch_row($setRec)) {
$rowData = '';
foreach ($rec as $value) {
$value = '"' . $value . '"' . "\t";
$rowData .= $value;
}
$setData .= trim($rowData) . "\n";
}
header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=INTRANSIT_Report.xls");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");
echo ucwords($columnHeader) . "\n" . $setData . "\n";
sleep(5);
try {
//Server settings
$mail->SMTPDebug = SMTP::DEBUG_OFF;
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.gmail.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'USERNAME_HERE';
$mail->Password = 'PASSWORD_HERE';
$mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_STARTTLS;
$mail->Port = 587;
//Recipients
$mail->setFrom('EMAIL_HERE', 'USERNAME_HERE');
$mail->addAddress('RESIPIENT_HERE', 'USERNAME_HERE');
$mail->addAttachment('/home/winningcodie/Downloads/INTRANSIT_Report.xls', 'Report.xls');
//Content
$mail->isHTML(true); //Set email format to HTML
$mail->Subject = 'Here is the subject';
$mail->Body = 'This is the HTML message body <b>in bold!</b>';
$mail->send();
echo 'Message has been sent';
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo "Message could not be sent. Mailer Error: {$mail->ErrorInfo}";
}
?>
Rest of the code is working fine. The file is downloaded in excel format. If i uncomment the attachment line of mail it gives me the error "The site can't be reached".

Answer 1

You generate the file dynamically and send it to the browser, which saves it on the same disk, while the script tries to read the file as part of the same process - I'm afraid it won't work (and as you can see it doesn't).
Don't send the file to the browser right away. Save it on disk first and then read it for the e-mail sending process and then return it to the browser.

Answer 2

Try this :
<?php
require("PHPMailer/src/SMTP.php");
require("PHPMailer/src/PHPMailer.php");
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\SMTP;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
$mail = new PHPMailer();
$conn = new mysqli('localhost', 'root', 'root');
mysqli_select_db($conn, 'dailyplay');
$setSql = "SELECT id, name, description FROM genres";
$setRec = mysqli_query($conn, $setSql);
$columnHeader = "ID"."\t"."Name"."\t"."Description";
$setData = '';
while ($rec = mysqli_fetch_row($setRec)) {
$rowData = '';
foreach ($rec as $value) {
$value = '"' . $value . '"' . "\t";
$rowData .= $value;
}
$setData .= trim($rowData) . "\n";
}
header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=INTRANSIT_Report.xls");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");
echo ucwords($columnHeader) . "\n" . $setData . "\n";
sleep(5);
try {
//Server settings
$mail->SMTPDebug = SMTP::DEBUG_OFF;
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.gmail.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'USERNAME_HERE';
$mail->Password = 'PASSWORD_HERE';
$mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_STARTTLS;
$mail->Port = 587;
//Recipients
$mail->setFrom('EMAIL_HERE', 'USERNAME_HERE');
$mail->addAddress('RESIPIENT_HERE', 'USERNAME_HERE');
$mail-move_uploaded_file('/home/winningcodie/Downloads/INTRANSIT_Report.xls',"uploads/INTRANSIT_Report.xls");
$mail->addAttachment("uploads/INTRANSIT_Report.xls", 'Report.xls');
//Content
$mail->isHTML(true); //Set email format to HTML
$mail->Subject = 'Here is the subject';
$mail->Body = 'This is the HTML message body <b>in bold!</b>';
$mail->send();
echo 'Message has been sent';
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo "Message could not be sent. Mailer Error: {$mail->ErrorInfo}";
}
?>