asked on

Show Powerpoint Presentation Inside Delphi Application

I am trying to use TOleContainer to show a Powerpoint Presentation within the main form of my Delphi application.

As you can see from the attached code, I am part of the way there.

How do I issue commands like Go To Next Slide?

How do I set up event handlers (like you can with TPowerpointApplication - OnSlideShowNextBuild, for example)?

unit Unit1;
 
interface
 
uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
  Dialogs, StdCtrls, OleCtnrs;
 
type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    oc1: TOleContainer;
    OpenButton: TButton;
    ShowButton: TButton;
    NextSlideButton: TButton;
    procedure OpenButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure ShowButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure NextSlideButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;
 
var
  Form1: TForm1;
 
implementation
 
{$R *.dfm}
 
procedure TForm1.OpenButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// open the presentation
begin
  // this loads the file and displays slide 1 in the OLEContainer - great
  oc1.CreateObjectFromFile('APresentation.ppt', false);
end;
 
procedure TForm1.ShowButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
  // show the presentation
begin
  // this does nothing - I thought it would start showing the presentation
  oc1.DoVerb(1);
end;
 
procedure TForm1.NextSlideButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// goto next slide
begin
  // I have no idea how to do this
end;
 
end.

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plumothy

ASKER

I have made a little bit of progress...

I can now run the presentation, but I still don't know how to force it to show inside the OleContainer.

I would still also like to know how to get at events like OnSlideShowNextBuild, etc.

The attached code shows what I have done so far.

unit Unit1;
 
interface
 
uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
  Dialogs, StdCtrls, OleCtnrs, OleServer, PowerPointXP;
 
type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    oc1: TOleContainer;
    OpenButton: TButton;
    ShowButton: TButton;
    NextSlideButton: TButton;
    PowerPointApplication1: TPowerPointApplication;
    procedure OpenButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure ShowButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure NextSlideButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
    Pres: OleVariant;
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;
 
var
  Form1: TForm1;
 
implementation
 
{$R *.dfm}
 
procedure TForm1.OpenButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// open the presentation
begin
  // this loads the file and displays slide 1 in the OLEContainer - great
  oc1.CreateObjectFromFile('APresentation.ppt', false);
  oc1.Run;
  Pres := oc1.OleObject;
end;
 
procedure TForm1.ShowButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// show the presentation
begin
  // this works, but it shows full screen or in a separate Powerpoint window
  // depending on the value of Pres.SlideShowSettings.ShowType
  Pres.SlideShowSettings.Run;
 
  // how do I get it to run the show inside the OleContainer?
 
end;
 
procedure TForm1.NextSlideButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// goto next slide
begin
  // This works provided the show is running
  Pres.SlideShowWindow.View.Next;
end;
 
end.

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ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Lukasz Zielinski

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plumothy

ASKER

Ziolko,

Many thanks for that!

I can now easily get at all the Powerpoint events.

However, I am still no better off than if I had only used TPowerpointApplication.

The presentation still runs in its own window. The reason I am trying to get it working with TOleContainer is to get the presentation running within my application.

I have seen it done by other programmers, but I don't how they did it!!

Perhaps this is not possible with TOleContainer, I don't know.

Following your suggestion, my amended sample code is attached.

unit Unit1;
 
interface
 
uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
  Dialogs, StdCtrls, OleCtnrs, OleServer, PowerPointXP;
 
type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    oc1: TOleContainer;
    OpenButton: TButton;
    ShowButton: TButton;
    NextSlideButton: TButton;
    ppa: TPowerPointApplication;
    procedure OpenButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure ShowButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure NextSlideButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
    Pres: _Presentation;
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;
 
var
  Form1: TForm1;
 
implementation
 
{$R *.dfm}
 
procedure TForm1.OpenButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// open the presentation
begin
  // this loads the file and displays slide 1 in the OLEContainer - great
  oc1.CreateObjectFromFile('APresentation.ppt', false);
  oc1.Run;
  if oc1.OleObjectInterface.QueryInterface(IID__Presentation, Pres) = S_OK then
    ppa.ConnectTo(Pres.Application);
end;
 
procedure TForm1.ShowButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  // this works, but it shows full screen or in a separate Powerpoint window
  // depending on the value of Pres.SlideShowSettings.ShowType
  Pres.SlideShowSettings.Run;
 
  // how do I get it to run the show inside the OleContainer?
 
end;
 
procedure TForm1.NextSlideButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
// goto next slide
begin
  // This works provided the show is running
  Pres.SlideShowWindow.View.Next;
end;
 
end.

Open in new window

Lukasz Zielinski

I know that other office apps do "jump out" of olecontainer sometimes depending on office version, I never figured out universal method to deal with it but in case excel method that worked was when I created separate form put olecontainer with Align := alClient.

in your case try also:
Pres.SlideShowSettings.ShowType := ...
or
Pres.PageSetup.SlideSize := ...

ziolko.

plumothy

ASKER

Ziolko.

Thanks for that.

I have now tried alClient and every possibility for ShowType, SlideSize, SlideWidth, SlideHeight.

I always get either full screen or a Powerpoint window - never inside my Container.

This is obviously a black art - and those who know how to do it keep it to themselves.

Lukasz Zielinski

>>This is obviously a black art - and those who know how to do it keep it to themselves.
guess so:)
anyway in case of excel it depends on office version.

ziolko.

plumothy

ASKER

Looks like no solution to this, but thanks to ziolko for the information that you provided - it taught me something I wanted to know, even hough it did not solve my problem.

Lukasz Zielinski

thanks for points and sorry I was unable to give you any happy news

ziolko.