asked on

Powerpoint Automation

Hi,
I'm trying to open an existing powerpoint file, and change the values within a datasheet in one of the slides. Anyone got a working sample of code that does this? Ie

-Open an instance of powerpoint in the background
-Open an existing ppt file
-Change the values within a graphs datasheet.
-Add some text somewhere
-Save the file, and close pp.

A.

Eddie Shipman

Record a macro to do it and then visit this site to see how to access PP in Delphi:
http://www.djpate.freeserve.co.uk/AutoPpt.htm

Then just convert the VBA macro source to Delphi.

Eddie Shipman

If you're not up to it, post a sample presentation that we can muck with...

Aqueath

ASKER

Ok, a sample presentation? Open PP.
-Select New->The New slide window opens
-Select graph
-Doubleclick the graph->you get a sample graph with datasheet.
-Save as...

And you have a sample presentation to muck with...

Eddie Shipman

Using PP2002 so it is different.

Aqueath

ASKER

Hi Eddie,
Found an example for you. It can be downloaded from:

http://portfolio.educ.kent.edu/studentj/equity.ppt

On slide 6 there is a graph.

Hope to hear from you soon.

A.

Aqueath

ASKER

In VB this would look something like ;

Private pp As PowerPoint.Application
Private pr As PowerPoint.Presentation
Private ds As Graph.DataSheet

Set pp = CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application")
Set pr = pp.Presentations.Open('d:\equity.ppt')

Set ds = pr.Slides(6).Shapes(2).OLEFormat.Object.Application.DataSheet //This line I need converted from VB to Delphi

ds.Cells(1, 3) = "Test"
ds.Cells(2, 3) = 22
ds.Cells(3, 3) = 3
ds.Cells(4, 3) = 72

ds.Application.Update

In Delphi so far I have:

uses ComObj;

...

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
pp : Variant;
pr : Variant;
ds : Variant; //do I need some other declaration?
begin
try
pp:=GetActiveOleObject('PowerPoint.Application');
except
pp:=CreateOleObject('PowerPoint.Application');
end;
pp.Visible := True; //I can't seem to get the next line of code to work without visible set to true.
pr:=pp.Presentations.Open('d:\equity.ppt'); //File can be downloaded from the link in the previous comment
ds:=pr.Slides.item(6).shapes.item(2).OleFormat; //This is where I'm currently stuck converting from VB.

...

//ds.Application.Update; //?
end;

I'm no good in VB, so could someone tell me how to convert the line...

Set ds = pr.Slides(6).Shapes(2).OLEFormat.Object.Application.DataSheet

...from VB to delphi? I have so far

ds:=pr.Slides.item(6).shapes.item(2).OleFormat;

Anyone?

A.

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Eddie Shipman

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Aqueath

ASKER

Thanks!

Your code so helped me in the right direction. Even made it work without the TLBs as well....Points!!!

Working example code

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
pp : OleVariant;
pr : OleVariant;
ds : OleVariant;
qs : OleVariant;
begin
try
pp:=GetActiveOleObject('PowerPoint.Application');
except
pp:=CreateOleObject('PowerPoint.Application');
end;
pp.Activate;
pr:=pp.Presentations.Open('d:\equity.ppt');
ds:=pr.Slides.Item(6).Shapes.Item(2).OleFormat.object;
qs:=ds.Application.Datasheet;
qs.cells.item[2,2]:='Blue';
end;

Would you also know how to run PP in the background? If I never set pp to visible I keep getting this error ;

"The powerpoint frame window does not exist."

A.