C# Export DataTable to Excel

In this tutorial, we will learn how to export a DataTable to Excel using C#. This is a very common task in many applications where data needs to be exported in a readable and editable format.

Steps to Export DataTable to Excel in C#

1. First, we need to add the Microsoft Office Interop Excel reference in our application. In Visual Studio, right-click on References and select Add Reference. In the search box, type "Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel" and select it.

using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel;

2. Create a new instance of the Excel Application and Workbook.

var excelApp = new Excel.Application();
var workBook = excelApp.Workbooks.Add();

3. Create a new sheet and set its name.

var workSheet = (Worksheet)workBook.ActiveSheet;
workSheet.Name = "Data";

4. Loop through the DataTable and fill the sheet with its data.

for (int i = 0; i < dataTable.Columns.Count; i++)
{
    workSheet.Cells[1, i + 1] = dataTable.Columns[i].ColumnName;
}

for (int i = 0; i < dataTable.Rows.Count; i++)
{
    for (int j = 0; j < dataTable.Columns.Count; j++)
    {
        workSheet.Cells[i + 2, j + 1] = dataTable.Rows[i][j].ToString();
    }
}

5. Format the sheet to make it more readable.

workSheet.Columns.AutoFit();
workSheet.Rows.AutoFit();
workSheet.Range["A1:B1"].Interior.Color = ColorTranslator.ToOle(Color.LightGray);

6. Save the file and close the Excel application.

workBook.SaveAs(@"C:\Temp\Data.xlsx");
excelApp.Quit();

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to export a DataTable to Excel using C#. This is a simple and effective way of exporting data in a readable and editable format.