Export DataGridView to Text File in Redable Format using C# and VB.Net in Windows Application

Hi dnnyobi,

Check this example. Now please take its reference and correct your code.

Database

For this example I have used of Northwind database that you can download using the link given below.

Download Northwind Database

Namespaces

C#

using System.Configuration;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.IO;

VB.Net

Imports System.Configuration
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.IO

Code

C#

private void Form2_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
    this.BindData();
}

protected void BindData()
{
    SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["conString"].ConnectionString);
    using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT EmployeeID,FirstName+' '+LastName Name,Country,HomePhone FROM Employees", con))
    {
        cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
        using (SqlDataAdapter sda = new SqlDataAdapter(cmd))
        {
            DataSet ds = new DataSet();
            sda.Fill(ds);
            this.dataGridView1.DataSource = ds.Tables[0];
        }
    }
}

private void btnExport_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
    DataTable dt = new DataTable();
    foreach (DataGridViewTextBoxColumn column in dataGridView1.Columns)
    {
        dt.Columns.Add(column.Name, column.ValueType);
    }
    foreach (DataGridViewRow row in dataGridView1.Rows)
    {
        DataRow dr = dt.NewRow();
        foreach (DataGridViewTextBoxColumn column in dataGridView1.Columns)
        {
            if (row.Cells[column.Name].Value != null)
            {
                dr[column.Name] = row.Cells[column.Name].Value.ToString();
            }
        }
        dt.Rows.Add(dr);
    }
    string filePath = "D:\\Result.txt";
    DataTableToTextFile(dt, filePath);

}

private void DataTableToTextFile(DataTable dt, string outputFilePath)
{
    int[] maxLengths = new int[dt.Columns.Count];

    for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++)
    {
        maxLengths[i] = dt.Columns[i].ColumnName.Length;
        foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows)
        {
            if (!row.IsNull(i))
            {
                int length = row[i].ToString().Length;
                if (length > maxLengths[i])
                {
                    maxLengths[i] = length;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(outputFilePath, false))
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++)
        {
            sw.Write(dt.Columns[i].ColumnName.PadRight(maxLengths[i] + 2));
        }

        sw.WriteLine();

        foreach (DataRow row in dt.Rows)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < dt.Columns.Count; i++)
            {
                if (!row.IsNull(i))
                {
                    sw.Write(row[i].ToString().PadRight(maxLengths[i] + 2));
                }
                else
                {
                    sw.Write(new string(' ', maxLengths[i] + 2));
                }
            }
            sw.WriteLine();
        }
        sw.Close();
    }
}

VB.Net

Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Me.BindData()
    End Sub

    Protected Sub BindData()
        Dim con As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("conString").ConnectionString)
        Using cmd As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand("SELECT EmployeeID,FirstName+' '+LastName Name,Country,HomePhone FROM Employees", con)
            cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text
            Using sda As SqlDataAdapter = New SqlDataAdapter(cmd)
                Dim ds As DataSet = New DataSet()
                sda.Fill(ds)
                Me.DataGridView1.DataSource = ds.Tables(0)
            End Using
        End Using
    End Sub

    Private Sub btnExport_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnExport.Click
        Dim dt As DataTable = New DataTable()
        For Each column As DataGridViewTextBoxColumn In DataGridView1.Columns
            dt.Columns.Add(column.Name, column.ValueType)
        Next
        For Each row As DataGridViewRow In DataGridView1.Rows
            Dim dr As DataRow = dt.NewRow()
            For Each column As DataGridViewTextBoxColumn In DataGridView1.Columns
                If row.Cells(column.Name).Value IsNot Nothing Then
                    dr(column.Name) = row.Cells(column.Name).Value.ToString()
                End If
            Next
            dt.Rows.Add(dr)
        Next
        Dim filePath As String = "D:\Result.txt"
        DataTableToTextFile(dt, filePath)
    End Sub

    Private Sub DataTableToTextFile(ByVal dt As DataTable, ByVal outputFilePath As String)
        Dim maxLengths As Integer() = New Integer(dt.Columns.Count - 1) {}
        For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1
            maxLengths(i) = dt.Columns(i).ColumnName.Length
            For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows
                If Not row.IsNull(i) Then
                    Dim length As Integer = row(i).ToString().Length
                    If length > maxLengths(i) Then
                        maxLengths(i) = length
                    End If
                End If
            Next
        Next
        Using sw As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(outputFilePath, False)
            For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1
                sw.Write(dt.Columns(i).ColumnName.PadRight(maxLengths(i) + 2))
            Next
            sw.WriteLine()
            For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows
                For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1
                    If Not row.IsNull(i) Then
                        sw.Write(row(i).ToString().PadRight(maxLengths(i) + 2))
                    Else
                        sw.Write(New String(" "c, maxLengths(i) + 2))
                    End If
                Next
                sw.WriteLine()
            Next
            sw.Close()
        End Using
    End Sub
End Class

Exported Text File