# CakePHP 3.5 and spout/xlsx library : how to handle .xlsx extension

**URL:** <https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/cakephp-3-5-and-spout-xlsx-library-how-to-handle-xlsx-extension/4035>\
**Category:** Need Help\
**Created:** [March 11, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/cakephp-3-5-and-spout-xlsx-library-how-to-handle-xlsx-extension/4035 "2018-03-11T16:42:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kitcat711](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Kitcat711](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/Kitcat711)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/cakephp-3-5-and-spout-xlsx-library-how-to-handle-xlsx-extension/4035/1 "2018-03-11T16:42:48Z")

</div>

Hello,

I installed the spout php library for handling xlsx files. see [http://opensource.box.com/spout/](http://opensource.box.com/spout/)

So far I am calling a method in my controller like:  
`mydomain.tld/articles/xlsx?article_id=1`

I would prefer to ask for:  
`mydomain.tld/articles/1.xlsx`

and manage a dedicated controller for handling my xlsx files.  
How can I do that?

I started by adding in my routes.php :  
`$routes->extensions(['xlsx']);`

But this is not enough.  
Thank you for you kind attention

Kitcat711

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![guillaumepommier](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.cakephp.org/guillaumepommier/32/47_2.png) [@guillaumepommier](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/guillaumepommier)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 9:16am UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/cakephp-3-5-and-spout-xlsx-library-how-to-handle-xlsx-extension/4035/2 "2018-03-23T09:16:59Z")

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Hi Kitcat711! 😉

In your routes.php

```
<?php
use Cake\Core\Plugin;
use Cake\Routing\RouteBuilder;
use Cake\Routing\Router;
use Cake\Routing\Route\DashedRoute;

Router::defaultRouteClass(DashedRoute::class);

Router::scope('/', function (RouteBuilder $routes) {
    $routes->connect('/', ['controller' => 'Pages', 'action' => 'display', 'home']);
    $routes->connect('/pages/*', ['controller' => 'Pages', 'action' => 'display']);
    $routes->setExtensions(['xlsx']);
    $routes->connect('/articles/:id', [
        'controller' => 'Articles',
        'action' => 'xlsx'
    ])->setPass(['id']);
    $routes->fallbacks(DashedRoute::class);
});

Plugin::routes();
?>

```

In your ArticlesController.php

```
<?php
namespace App\Controller;

use App\Controller\AppController;
use Cake\Utility\Hash;
use Box\Spout\Writer\WriterFactory;
use Box\Spout\Common\Type;

class ArticlesController extends AppController
{
    public function xlsx($id = null)
    {
        $query = $this->Articles->find();
        $query->formatResults(function ($results) {
            return $results->map(function ($row) {
                if (isset($row['created'])) {
                    $row['created'] = $row['created']->i18nFormat('dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss', 'Europe/Paris');
                }
                return $row;
            });
        });
        $items = $query->enableHydration(false)->toArray();
        if (!$items) {
            $this->Flash->error('Nothing to export');
            return($this->redirect($this->referer()));
        }
        $rows = [];
        foreach($items as $item) {
            $rows[] = Hash::flatten($item);
        }
        $headers = array_keys($rows[0]);
        $writer = WriterFactory::create(Type::XLSX);
        $target = TMP . $id . '.xlsx';
        $writer->openToFile($target);
        $writer->addRow($headers);
        $writer->addRows($rows);
        $writer->close();

        $response = $this->response->withFile($target, ['download' => true]);
        return $response;
    }
}

```

Anywhere in your template

```
<?php
echo $this->Html->link('Export Articles', [
    'controller' => 'Articles', 'action' => 'xlsx', 1, '_ext' => 'xlsx'
]);
?>
```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kitcat711](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Kitcat711](https://discourse.cakephp.org/u/Kitcat711)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cakephp.org/t/cakephp-3-5-and-spout-xlsx-library-how-to-handle-xlsx-extension/4035/3 "2018-03-24T15:07:56Z")

</div>

Will try that Guillaume, and let you know 🙂