I’m trying to produce a CSV file within my WordPress plugin using a PHP array. When I insert an exit command inside the loop that writes each row, only the first record appears in the CSV; however, if I remove the exit, the file is not generated at all. Here is an example of my array and modified code:
header('Content-Type: application/csv');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="exported.csv"');
$outputHandle = fopen('php://output', 'w');
fputcsv($outputHandle, ['FirstName', 'LastName']);
foreach ($userList as $userInfo) {
fputcsv($outputHandle, $userInfo);
// exit; // Uncommenting causes only one record to appear
}
fclose($outputHandle);
Can anyone explain why the script only captures the initial array element when using exit, and why it fails to generate the CSV when the exit is removed?
chime in: placing exit inside the loop halts the script after one row. remove it and you might run into output buffering/header issues that prevent proper csv generation. try flushing and closing the stream right after the loop.
I encountered this problem before and found that the issue stems from how the script termination is handled. Using exit inside your loop stops execution immediately, so only the first row gets processed. Removing the exit might result in no CSV output if other parts of your code or even the server configuration interfere with output buffering. The key is to complete the file generation workflow properly. I solved a similar issue by ensuring that the output stream is fully flushed and all resources are properly closed before the script finished executing.
Drawing from my own experience, it appears that finishing your loop with an exit command is effectively stopping the PHP script from processing any subsequent output, which is why only one CSV row is produced. On the other hand, removing the exit command can sometimes lead to issues with output buffering, especially if your environment or other plugins interfere with the header output. I noticed in past projects that manually flushing the output stream after completing all writes and ensuring that no unwanted output precedes the headers can help resolve these hiccups.
The issue appears to be related to how the execution of your script is handled within the WordPress environment, and my experience confirms that using exit inside a loop will always stop further processing of data. I encountered a similar problem and resolved it by allowing the entire loop to finish executing before terminating the script. My investigation revealed that headers and buffering can be affected by premature termination. The solution was to ensure that all data is sent, the stream is properly flushed, and then let the script conclude, which guarantees that the CSV is fully compiled.