Export Data to Excel in OutSystems (RecordListToExcel Guide)

Logic tab → Server Actions → right-click → 'Add Server Action'. Name it 'ExportEmployeesToExcel'. The action needs no input parameters for a full export, or add filter inputs (e.g., DepartmentId, DateFrom) if you want a filtered export. Action flow: Start → GetAllEmployees (Aggregate — fetch the data to export) → RecordListToExcel → Download → End First, set up the Aggregate: drag Aggregate from the Toolbox into the flow. Double-click to configure → drag Employee entity into Sources. Set Max Records to 10000 (or your expected max — see performance notes below). Close the Aggregate editor. Note: RecordListToExcel is in Logic tab → System → ExcelUtils. Drag it into the flow after the Aggregate.

Select the RecordListToExcel node in the action flow. In the Properties Panel, set the input parameters: - RecordList: GetAllEmployees.List (your aggregate's output list) That is the only required input. RecordListToExcel automatically: - Uses attribute names as column headers - Includes all attributes in the record list - Generates an .xlsx format file Output parameter: - File: Binary Data (the generated Excel file content) To customize column headers, you need a Structure. Create a Structure in Data tab → Structures → Add Structure with only the attributes you want exported, then fetch into that structure in the Aggregate. Column headers in the Excel file will match the Structure attribute names.

1/* RecordListToExcel parameters */
2RecordList: GetAllEmployees.List
3
4/* Output */
5File: Binary Data (access as RecordListToExcel.File)
6
7/* For custom columns, create a Structure */
8/* Data tab → Structures → Add Structure 'EmployeeExportRow' */
9/* Add attributes: FullName (Text), Email (Text), Department (Text) */
10/* Fetch into this structure in the aggregate using calculated attributes */

After RecordListToExcel in the action flow, drag the Download action from Logic tab → System into the flow. Set the Download action parameters: - FileContent: RecordListToExcel.File - FileName: 'Employees_' + FormatDate(CurrDate(), 'yyyyMMdd') + '.xlsx' - MimeType: 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet' The complete action flow: Start → GetAllEmployees (Aggregate) → RecordListToExcel (RecordList=GetAllEmployees.List) → Download (FileContent=RecordListToExcel.File, FileName='Employees.xlsx', MimeType='application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet') → End

1/* Download action parameters */
2FileContent: RecordListToExcel.File
3FileName:    "Employees_" + FormatDate(CurrDate(), "yyyyMMdd") + ".xlsx"
4MimeType:    "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet"
5
6/* Full flow summary */
7Start
8  --> Aggregate: GetAllEmployees (Max Records: 10000)
9  --> RecordListToExcel: RecordList = GetAllEmployees.List
10  --> Download: FileContent = RecordListToExcel.File
11                FileName    = "Employees_" + FormatDate(CurrDate(), "yyyyMMdd") + ".xlsx"
12                MimeType    = "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet"
13  --> End

In the Screen Editor, add a Button widget to the screen. Set its Label to 'Export to Excel'. Right-click → 'Add OnClick Client Action'. In the Client Action flow: Start → ExportEmployeesToExcel (Server Action) → End The Download action inside ExportEmployeesToExcel terminates the response — no additional navigation is needed in the Client Action after the call. For filtered exports, add input parameters to ExportEmployeesToExcel (e.g., DepartmentId) and map the currently selected filter values from the screen when calling the Server Action: Start → ExportEmployeesToExcel (DepartmentId = SelectedDepartmentId) → End

By default RecordListToExcel exports all attributes from the aggregate. To control which columns appear (and in what order), define a Structure with only the desired attributes. Data tab → Structures → right-click → Add Structure. Name it 'EmployeeExportRow'. Add attributes: - FullName: Text - Department: Text - Email: Text - HireDate: Date In the GetAllEmployees Aggregate, add calculated attributes matching the Structure: - Click 'New Attribute' in the Aggregate editor - Name: FullName, Value: Employee.FirstName + ' ' + Employee.LastName - Name: Department, Value: Department.Name (requires joining the Department entity) - etc. Then map the aggregate list to the Structure list before passing to RecordListToExcel. Use a For Each + Assign pattern or use a List Append approach to build the export list.

1/* Structure: EmployeeExportRow
2   Attributes: FullName (Text), Department (Text), Email (Text), HireDate (Date) */
3
4/* In Server Action - build export list */
5Assign: ExportList = GetAllEmployeesWithDept.List
6  /* GetAllEmployeesWithDept aggregate joins Employee + Department */
7  /* and has calculated attributes matching EmployeeExportRow */
8
9/* RecordListToExcel reads the structure attribute names as column headers */
10RecordListToExcel: RecordList = ExportList