in reply to PowerPoint.pm extension for AddPolyline not working

According to the Microsoft documentation for AddPolyline, the method takes a Variant datatype. Without testing, you should be able to create a (2-dimensional) Variant that contains an array (of integers) like this:

use Win32::OLE;
use Win32::OLE::Variant;


my $pointcount = 4; # 4 points
my $point_dimensions = 2;

# The arrayrefs mean we use 1-based indices, like the VBA examples do:
# my $pointlist = Variant(VT_ARRAY | VT_R4 , [1,$pointcount], [1,$poin
+t_dimensions]);
# Alternatively, use 0-based indices, like Perl does:
my $pointlist = Variant(VT_ARRAY | VT_R4 , $pointcount, $point_dimensi
+ons);

$pointlist->Put( 0,0, 25 );
$pointlist->Put( 0,1, 100 );
...

$slide->Shapes->AddPolyline($pointlist);

[download]

The MS documentation suggests that the SafeArryOfPoints should be a 2-dimensional array.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: PowerPoint.pm extension for AddPolyline not working
by EnzoXenon (Acolyte) on Jun 14, 2023 at 12:15 UTC
    Corion ... thank you very much!

    Here's what I put into the PowerPoint module per your guidance on Win32::OLE::Variant (which I looked up on CPAN afterward ... because I should learn how to read) 

      # Get the points
  my @points=@{ $options->{points} };

  # Create the Win32::OLE::Variant
  my $pointlist = Win32::OLE::Variant->new(VT_ARRAY | VT_R4 , 4, 2);

  # Convert points to Win32::OLE::Variant
  for my $index (0 .. 3)
  {
    # Add x
    $pointlist->Put( $index, 0, shift(@points) );

    # Add y
    $pointlist->Put( $index, 1, shift(@points) );
  }

  my $new_poly=$self->slide->Shapes->AddPolyline($pointlist);

    [download]
    So I could make the call into the function simple ... 
          # Add filled Triangle
      $PPT->add_polyline( {'points'    => [$pptpoints[0], $pptpoints[1
+], $pptpoints[2], $pptpoints[3], $pptpoints[4], $pptpoints[5], $pptpo
+ints[0], $pptpoints[1]],
                           'fillcolor' => &convert2RGBvalues($fill),
                           'weight'    => $weight/px2pt,
                           'forecolor' => &convert2RGBvalues($color) }
+);

    [download]
    Meaning the user will only have to define a list of three coordinate pairs in perl to make a triangle in PowerPoint.

    EXCELLENT!

[reply]
[d/l]
[select]

In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom