ASP.NET MVC: Upload & Read Excel File

This article demonstrates

1. How to upload the file in MVC
2. Read Excel file content

How to upload the file in MVC

In your MVC razor view add the below HTML content:

@using(Html.BeginForm("Upload", "Home", FormMethod.Post, new {enctype = "multipart/form-data"}))
{
<table>
<tr>
<td>File:</td>
<td>
<input type="file" name="UploadedFile" />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
}

Notice, the action name : Upload, Controller Name: Home.

Now come to home controller and add action called Upload.

public ActionResult Upload(FormCollection formCollection)  
{
 if (Request != null) 
 { 
 HttpPostedFileBase file = Request.Files["UploadedFile"]; 
 
 if ((file != null) && (file.ContentLength > 0) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(file.FileName)) 
 {
  string fileName = file.FileName;
  string fileContentType = file.ContentType;
  byte[] fileBytes = new  byte[file.ContentLength];
  var data = file.InputStream.Read(fileBytes, 0, Convert.ToInt32(file.ContentLength));
  }
 }
}  

Now try to run the app by putting a breakpoint and see if all is working until now.

Now add dll called EPPLUS from NuGet which is used for reading and writing files.

Lets say I have file with FirstName & LastName.

Now add a class called users.

public class  Users { public string  FirstName { get; set; } public  string LastName { get; set; } }  
Now lets modify our action method to read the file stream object  which we uploaded. Add using OfficeOpenXml; statement
 
public ActionResult Upload(FormCollection formCollection)
{
if (Request != null)
{
HttpPostedFileBase file = Request.Files["UploadedFile"];
if ((file != null) && (file.ContentLength > 0) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(file.FileName))
{
string fileName = file.FileName;
string fileContentType = file.ContentType;
byte[] fileBytes = new  byte[file.ContentLength];
var data = file.InputStream.Read(fileBytes, 0, Convert.ToInt32(file.ContentLength));
var usersList = new  List<Users>();
using (var package = new ExcelPackage(file.InputStream))
{
var currentSheet = package.Workbook.Worksheets;
var workSheet = currentSheet.First();
var noOfCol = workSheet.Dimension.End.Column;
var noOfRow = workSheet.Dimension.End.Row;
 
for (int rowIterator = 2; rowIterator <= noOfRow; rowIterator++)
{
var user = new  Users();
user.FirstName = workSheet.Cells[rowIterator, 1].Value.ToString();
user.LastName = workSheet.Cells[rowIterator, 2].Value.ToString();
usersList.Add(user);
}
}
}
}
return View("Index");
}

Finally, all the users will be available in usersList object.