PHP/HTML Excel export button - php

Question

I need to make a button which when clicked, will export all data from the HTML form on the page to an excel file. Could anyone help me with this I'm new to PHP and dont know where to begin.
<div class="left col-md-12 form-group" >
<form method="post" id="triallesson_form">
<div class="table">
<table class="table table-header-rotated table-condensed table-striped table-hover" style="width: 100%;">
<th></th>
<th class="col-xs-1 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['person_name'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-1 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['person_telphone'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-1 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['location_name'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-3 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['class_date'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-2 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_type'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-2 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_email'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-2 not-rotate"><div><span>via</span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_called'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_confirmd'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_show'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_sign_up'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_cancelled'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45" title="<?= Text::$string['triallesson_sms_info'];?>"><div><span><?= Text::$string['triallesson_sms'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th></th>
<?= $content[1]; ?>
</table>
<input type="hidden" name="date1" value="<?=$con->date1?>">
<input type="hidden" name="date2" value="<?=$con->date2?>"></form>
</div>
</div>
Last time I didnt add the code sorry.
This is the table where my data will be showed in.
My intention is that when I click a button on the same page, it will take all the data from the table and export it into a XLS or CSV file.
If any further information is needed I'll add it, thankyou in advance.

Answer 1

You're using PHP to create the table but it might be simpler to use JavaScript to create the Excel file from the resultant HTML table as there are a variety of tools available to do this which are not too hard to use, such as: https://github.com/clarketm/TableExport
e.g. Using this as an example: https://tableexport.v3.travismclarke.com/examples/position.html for your table your code could look like this:
<div class="left col-md-12 form-group" >
<form method="post" id="triallesson_form">
<div class="table">
<table id="myDataTable" class="table table-header-rotated table-condensed table-striped table-hover" style="width: 100%;">
<thead>
<th></th>
<th class="col-xs-1 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['person_name'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-1 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['person_telphone'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-1 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['location_name'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-3 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['class_date'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-2 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_type'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-2 not-rotate"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_email'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="col-xs-2 not-rotate"><div><span>via</span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_called'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_confirmd'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_show'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_sign_up'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45"><div><span><?= text::$string['triallesson_cancelled'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th class="rotate-45" title="<?= Text::$string['triallesson_sms_info'];?>"><div><span><?= Text::$string['triallesson_sms'] ;?></span></div> </th>
<th></th>
</thead>
<tbody>
<?= $content[1]; ?>
</tbody>
</table>
<input type="hidden" name="date1" value="<?=$con->date1?>">
<input type="hidden" name="date2" value="<?=$con->date2?>">
</div>
</form>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../bower_components/jquery/dist/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../bower_components/js-xlsx/dist/xlsx.core.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../bower_components/blobjs/Blob.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../bower_components/file-saverjs/FileSaver.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../dist/js/tableexport.min.js"></script>
<script>
var PositionTable = document.getElementById('myDataTable');
new TableExport(PositionTable, {
position: 'top'
});
</script>
The only necessary change made to your HTML is adding an ID attribute to the table: <table id="myDataTable" ...
That's then referenced again in the JavaScript lower down: var PositionTable = document.getElementById('myDataTable');.
You'll need to update the locations of the included files to fit where you've got them (xlsx.core.min.js, Blob.min.js, FileSaver.min.js, tableexport.min.js, etc.). Remove the jQuery include if unneeded.
You'll then see Excel download buttons appear under your table just like in the example.