---
title: "system.dataset.dataSetToExcel"
description: "Formats the contents of one or more datasets as an excel spreadsheet, returning the results as a string."
---

# system.dataset.dataSetToExcel

> Formats the contents of one or more datasets as an excel spreadsheet, returning the results as a string.

This function is used in **Python Scripting**.

## Description
Formats the contents of one or more datasets as an excel spreadsheet, returning the results as a string. Each dataset specified will be added as a worksheet in the Excel workbook. This function uses an xml-format for Excel spreadsheets, not the native Excel file format.

## Client Permission Restrictions
This scripting function has no [Client Permission](projects\project-properties\project-properties.md#client---permissions) restrictions.

## Syntax
`system.dataset.dataSetToExcel(showHeaders, datasets[, nullsEmpty])`

### Parameters
Type | Parameter | Description 
------- | ------- | -------
Boolean  | `showHeaders` | If True (1), the spreadsheet will include a header row.
Object[] |  `datasets` | If True (1), the spreadsheet will include a header row.
Boolean  | `nullsEmpty` |   If True (1), the spreadsheet will leave cells with NULL values empty, instead of allowing Excel to provide a default value like 0. Defaults to False. [Optional]

### Returns
**String** - An Excel-compatible XML-based workbook, with one worksheet per dataset.

### Scope
All

## Code Examples
```python title="Example 1"
# This snippet would run a SQL query against a database, and turn the results into a string that is XML that Excel can open. It then writes the string to a file on the local hard drive.
  
results = system.db.runQuery("SELECT * FROM example1 LIMIT 100")
results = system.dataset.toDataSet(results)
spreadsheet = system.dataset.dataSetToExcel(1, [results])
filePath = "C:\\output\\results.xls"
system.file.writeFile(filePath, spreadsheet)
```