COM automation of bulk table creation and table cell background changes

Erwin, Shyam,

I'm doing a similar operation on a project I'm working on - it works OK, but
the performance is terrible. Can you explain a little more about "preventing
the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not visible"?

I've tried using Automation without making the Powerpoint application
visible, but when I do so, I get an error. In other words, this code:

Dim oApp
Set oApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
Dim oPres
Set oPres = oApp.Presentations.Open("C:\Presentation.ppt")

Creates this error:

"Presentations.Open : Invalid request. The PowerPoint Frame window does not
exist"

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Matt Stuehler



"Shyam Pillai" wrote:

> Erwin,
> Look at some of the example of table manipulation on this page.
> http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable.htm
> http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable2.htm
>
> There is no native approach to perform operation 1 apart from individually
> populating the cells. You will get performance improvement if you prevent
> the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not visible.
>
> --
> Regards
> Shyam Pillai
>
> Animation Carbon - http://skp.mvps.org/ac/index.html
>
> "Erwin S. Andreasen" <erwin.andreasen@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:560b7cf7.0411061426.529ede97@posting.google.c om...
> >I am using the PowerPoint COM interface (specifically from Python, but
> > the method/property names are the same were I to use VB) to create a
> > presentation which contain tables. I have two issues:
> >
> > 1) since I have a lot of data to copy over, I would like to copy it to
> > the clipboard and then copy it to the already properly resized tables,
> > rather than set each cell individually (I use such a bulk copy method
> > to set up OLE charts within the presentation already)
> >
> > 2) I would like to change the background color of the cells
> >
> > However, I can find no sign of the above being possible when looking
> > at the Office 2003 PPT docs. I have tried recording a macro and
> > performing those actions -- nothing is recorded when they are
> > performed.
> >
> > Any suggestions? My fallback, if the COM interface for at least #2 is
> > unavailable (#1 just means worse performance) is to use something like
> > "Watsup" to programmatically send key strokes/mouse clicks to
> > Powerpoint, but that seems rather inelegant.
> >
> > http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html
>
>
>

Shyam,

That "Lock screen" is a VERY useful bit of code! Many thanks for sharing it!

Cheers,
Matt


"Shyam Pillai" wrote:

> a) You can lock you screen from redrawing - http://skp.mvps.org/ppt00033.htm
> b) Automate PPT in invisible mode:
> Dim oApp
> Dim oPres
> Set oApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
> Set oPres = oApp.Presentations.Open("C:\Presentation.ppt", , , False)
>
>
> --
> Regards
> Shyam Pillai
>
> Handout Wizard: http://skp.mvps.org/how/
>
>
> "mstuehler" <mstuehler@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:8F96103D-A558-49BC-AA67-4C821A3A5659@microsoft.com...
> > Erwin, Shyam,
> >
> > I'm doing a similar operation on a project I'm working on - it works OK,
> > but
> > the performance is terrible. Can you explain a little more about
> > "preventing
> > the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not
> > visible"?
> >
> > I've tried using Automation without making the Powerpoint application
> > visible, but when I do so, I get an error. In other words, this code:
> >
> > Dim oApp
> > Set oApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
> > Dim oPres
> > Set oPres = oApp.Presentations.Open("C:\Presentation.ppt")
> >
> > Creates this error:
> >
> > "Presentations.Open : Invalid request. The PowerPoint Frame window does
> > not
> > exist"
> >
> > Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Matt Stuehler
> >
> >
> >
> > "Shyam Pillai" wrote:
> >
> >> Erwin,
> >> Look at some of the example of table manipulation on this page.
> >> http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable.htm
> >> http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable2.htm
> >>
> >> There is no native approach to perform operation 1 apart from
> >> individually
> >> populating the cells. You will get performance improvement if you prevent
> >> the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not
> >> visible.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Regards
> >> Shyam Pillai
> >>
> >> Animation Carbon - http://skp.mvps.org/ac/index.html
> >>
> >> "Erwin S. Andreasen" <erwin.andreasen@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >> news:560b7cf7.0411061426.529ede97@posting.google.c om...
> >> >I am using the PowerPoint COM interface (specifically from Python, but
> >> > the method/property names are the same were I to use VB) to create a
> >> > presentation which contain tables. I have two issues:
> >> >
> >> > 1) since I have a lot of data to copy over, I would like to copy it to
> >> > the clipboard and then copy it to the already properly resized tables,
> >> > rather than set each cell individually (I use such a bulk copy method
> >> > to set up OLE charts within the presentation already)
> >> >
> >> > 2) I would like to change the background color of the cells
> >> >
> >> > However, I can find no sign of the above being possible when looking
> >> > at the Office 2003 PPT docs. I have tried recording a macro and
> >> > performing those actions -- nothing is recorded when they are
> >> > performed.
> >> >
> >> > Any suggestions? My fallback, if the COM interface for at least #2 is
> >> > unavailable (#1 just means worse performance) is to use something like
> >> > "Watsup" to programmatically send key strokes/mouse clicks to
> >> > Powerpoint, but that seems rather inelegant.
> >> >
> >> > http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

a) You can lock you screen from redrawing - http://skp.mvps.org/ppt00033.htm
b) Automate PPT in invisible mode:
Dim oApp
Dim oPres
Set oApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
Set oPres = oApp.Presentations.Open("C:\Presentation.ppt", , , False)


--
Regards
Shyam Pillai

Handout Wizard: http://skp.mvps.org/how/


"mstuehler" <mstuehler@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8F96103D-A558-49BC-AA67-4C821A3A5659@microsoft.com...
> Erwin, Shyam,
>
> I'm doing a similar operation on a project I'm working on - it works OK,
> but
> the performance is terrible. Can you explain a little more about
> "preventing
> the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not
> visible"?
>
> I've tried using Automation without making the Powerpoint application
> visible, but when I do so, I get an error. In other words, this code:
>
> Dim oApp
> Set oApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
> Dim oPres
> Set oPres = oApp.Presentations.Open("C:\Presentation.ppt")
>
> Creates this error:
>
> "Presentations.Open : Invalid request. The PowerPoint Frame window does
> not
> exist"
>
> Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Cheers,
> Matt Stuehler
>
>
>
> "Shyam Pillai" wrote:
>
>> Erwin,
>> Look at some of the example of table manipulation on this page.
>> http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable.htm
>> http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable2.htm
>>
>> There is no native approach to perform operation 1 apart from
>> individually
>> populating the cells. You will get performance improvement if you prevent
>> the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not
>> visible.
>>
>> --
>> Regards
>> Shyam Pillai
>>
>> Animation Carbon - http://skp.mvps.org/ac/index.html
>>
>> "Erwin S. Andreasen" <erwin.andreasen@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:560b7cf7.0411061426.529ede97@posting.google.c om...
>> >I am using the PowerPoint COM interface (specifically from Python, but
>> > the method/property names are the same were I to use VB) to create a
>> > presentation which contain tables. I have two issues:
>> >
>> > 1) since I have a lot of data to copy over, I would like to copy it to
>> > the clipboard and then copy it to the already properly resized tables,
>> > rather than set each cell individually (I use such a bulk copy method
>> > to set up OLE charts within the presentation already)
>> >
>> > 2) I would like to change the background color of the cells
>> >
>> > However, I can find no sign of the above being possible when looking
>> > at the Office 2003 PPT docs. I have tried recording a macro and
>> > performing those actions -- nothing is recorded when they are
>> > performed.
>> >
>> > Any suggestions? My fallback, if the COM interface for at least #2 is
>> > unavailable (#1 just means worse performance) is to use something like
>> > "Watsup" to programmatically send key strokes/mouse clicks to
>> > Powerpoint, but that seems rather inelegant.
>> >
>> > http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html
>>
>>
>>

Erwin,
Look at some of the example of table manipulation on this page.
http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable.htm
http://skp.mvps.org/ppttable2.htm

There is no native approach to perform operation 1 apart from individually
populating the cells. You will get performance improvement if you prevent
the window from redraw or perform the automation while PPT is not visible.

--
Regards
Shyam Pillai

Animation Carbon - http://skp.mvps.org/ac/index.html

"Erwin S. Andreasen" <erwin.andreasen@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:560b7cf7.0411061426.529ede97@posting.google.c om...
>I am using the PowerPoint COM interface (specifically from Python, but
> the method/property names are the same were I to use VB) to create a
> presentation which contain tables. I have two issues:
>
> 1) since I have a lot of data to copy over, I would like to copy it to
> the clipboard and then copy it to the already properly resized tables,
> rather than set each cell individually (I use such a bulk copy method
> to set up OLE charts within the presentation already)
>
> 2) I would like to change the background color of the cells
>
> However, I can find no sign of the above being possible when looking
> at the Office 2003 PPT docs. I have tried recording a macro and
> performing those actions -- nothing is recorded when they are
> performed.
>
> Any suggestions? My fallback, if the COM interface for at least #2 is
> unavailable (#1 just means worse performance) is to use something like
> "Watsup" to programmatically send key strokes/mouse clicks to
> Powerpoint, but that seems rather inelegant.
>
> http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html

I am using the PowerPoint COM interface (specifically from Python, but
the method/property names are the same were I to use VB) to create a
presentation which contain tables. I have two issues:

1) since I have a lot of data to copy over, I would like to copy it to
the clipboard and then copy it to the already properly resized tables,
rather than set each cell individually (I use such a bulk copy method
to set up OLE charts within the presentation already)

2) I would like to change the background color of the cells

However, I can find no sign of the above being possible when looking
at the Office 2003 PPT docs. I have tried recording a macro and
performing those actions -- nothing is recorded when they are
performed.

Any suggestions? My fallback, if the COM interface for at least #2 is
unavailable (#1 just means worse performance) is to use something like
"Watsup" to programmatically send key strokes/mouse clicks to
Powerpoint, but that seems rather inelegant.

http://www.tizmoi.net/watsup/intro.html