[QUESTION] Hidden characters in exported file

[ChristianBundgaard]

Prerequisites

• [x] Have read and understood: https://github.com/Maatwebsite/Laravel-Excel/blob/3.1/.github/SUPPORT.md
• [X] Checked if your Laravel Excel version is still supported: https://docs.laravel-excel.com/3.1/getting-started/support.html#supported-versions
• [X] Checked that your question isn't already asked before.
• [X] Filled in the entire issue template

Versions

• PHP version: 7.2
• Laravel version: 5.6.39
• Package version: 3.1.10

Description

I'm using this package to export a TSV feed for Google Shopping. It has a long list of fields, ex 'custom_label_0' and 'identifierexists'. Everything works fine, except for those fields with a header that includes an ''.

Google Support says, it is because the feed includes some hidden characters, and that it can be identified with this tool: https://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/dencoder/

Correctly, if I copy "custom_label_0" from my file and encode it, I get:

"custom_label_0" ==>
%22custom_%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Blabel_%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B0%22

And if I just write it, it becomes...

"custom_label_0" ==>
%22custom_label_0%22

Any suggestions? I'm just using the basic functions from this package, and I can't see what can be done differently.

[patrickbrouwers]

Can you show your code? I don't think this package does any data transformation before inserting, perhaps PhpSpreadsheet does.

[ChristianBundgaard]

@patrickbrouwers

I suppose, it can be PhpSpreadsheet, but in that case... is it possible to do anything to avoid it?

namespace App\Exports;

use App\Product;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\FromQuery;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithMapping;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithHeadings;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\Exportable;

ini_set('memory_limit', '2048M');

class ProductExport implements FromQuery, WithMapping, WithHeadings
{
    use Exportable;

    public function query()
    {
        // Query
    }

    public function map($product): array
    {
        return [
            $product->id,
            $product->name,
            $product->shortDescriptionWithVariables(),
            url($product->slug ? $product->slug->name : ''),
            ! empty($product->images) ? $product->images[0] : $product->thumbnail,
            $product->availability && $product->buyable ? 'in stock' : 'out of stock',
            $product->formatted_price,
            $product->category ? $product->category->name : null,
            $product->brand_name,
            $product->ean,
            ! empty($product->ean) ? 'yes' : 'no',
            'new',
            $product->primaryColor ? $product->primaryColor->name : null,
            $product->feed_name,
        ];
    }

    public function headings(): array
    {
        return [
            'id',
            'title',
            'description',
            'link',
            'image_link',
            'availability',
            'price',
            'product_type',
            'brand',
            'gtin',
            'identifier_​exists',
            'condition',
            'color',
            'custom_label_0',
        ];
    }
}

[patrickbrouwers]

I was most interested in the map logic, but I assume you don't do any "weird" things there?

I'm not sure how to avoid, I don't have any experience with TSV. I'm afraid you'll have to step through the PhpSpreadsheet code and see what part adds those hidden chars. Perhaps something to do with encoding.

[ChristianBundgaard]

@patrickbrouwers, I've added the mapping now - but no, I don't think so.

Hmm okay, thanks for your answer.

[patrickbrouwers]

If there's anything we can fix in the package for it, feel free to PR it

[patrickbrouwers]

Bit late perhaps, but maybe using a custom heading key formatter might be a step into the right direction:

https://docs.laravel-excel.com/3.1/imports/heading-row.html#custom-formatter

I'll close this tickets as it's quite old, feel free to reopen if needed.