As an alternative, how about trying
XML::Handler::AxPoint instead of Powerpoint? As a
demonstration, here is my latest
work with it.
now all we need is a YAML2axp translator ... ;)
jeffa
L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B--
H---H---H---H---H---H---
(the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)
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I'm also a happy AxPoint user. I noticed that your PDF file includes a number of sequences of slides which are the same but with the addition of one bullet point. Did you know that AxPoint supports having the bullet points appear one at a time? Just add a transition="replace" attribute to the <point> elements. The advantage is that if you print the resulting PDF, then each slide will only take up one page rather than many.
Update after re-reading the docs, you need to use -p on the command line to generate a 'print' version with one page per slide. The version you use on-screen in the presentation should be generated without -p and will use multiple pages for the bullet-at-a-time effect.
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[d/l]
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I have no idea how to generate them directly; maybe you could use OLE/COM to "remote control" PowerPoint into creating the file for you.
An alternative would be to generate files for OpenOffice or Apple's Keynote (if you're working on MacOS X). Both formats are XML-based. If you generate an OpenOffice file, you might use OpenOffice to convert it to a PowerPoint file.
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Ugh - that sounds unpleasant.
Do you just need the functionality of a PowerPoint file to be passed around? Or is the need exactly for a PowerPoint file?
MS is making it increasingly hard to work with their stuff outside of their own tools (even more so with the upcoming office from what I have read).
Could you do it with DHTML and or a swf file (which is an open format and therefore allows you to create them without needing the Flash interface)?
Here when we have needed to dynamically work with PowerPoint files, we end up exporting them to DTHML and then soley using it in that format from then on.
But if this is for a client that is demanding specifically that you work with ppt file... ugh, I don't personally know of a way since MS isn't particularly open with their formats.
(although it also depends on how basic you want it to be - from what I have seen in the past when looking on Google, it seems that the eventual response is to use Win32::OLE to then call VB and do it that way... which is... *ugly* - there is also a way to do basic slides - but *not* MS PPT format - if you look here and follow the link in the small print at the bottom)
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There are some odd things afoot now, in the Villa Straylight. | [reply] |