How to duplicate a slide or copy a PowerPoint shape from one slide to another using the PowerPoint API?

ThomasHumberset-7355 11

I want to basically duplicate a slide, or at least copy certain shapes from one slide to another one using the PowerPoint API (not VBA), is this possible?

Since the shapes array is readonly it can not be manipulated. Is there another way of achieving this?

If possible, can you show an example of how it is done?
If not possible, is there a good reason why it's not possible, or is it just not implemented yet?

1 answer

John Korchok 4,926 Reputation points

2023-01-02T16:25:31.837+00:00

An API is a set of specifications that outline how a programming language can interact with a program. It's not a programming language itself. You can program PowerPoint using VBA (through the VBA IDE built into the program), Visual Basic or C# (using Visual Studio), JavaScript (using Office.js), Python and others. All of these languages follow the PowerPoint API to manipulate the program.

A shapes array is not read-only. You have to work with it using the ShapeRange object, which is a bit of a pain, but certainly possible.

To provide code examples, you would have to specify the language you want to work with.
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ThomasHumberset-7355 11 Reputation points

2023-01-03T07:56:07.997+00:00

Thank you for your answer,
VBA is not an option as we are developing an add-in to work for both Windows, Mac and Office 365 (online version). VBA add-ins are only supported by Windows from what I have found.
That's basically the main reason why we use JavaScript (Office.js) and the PowerPoint API to develop our add-in.
We thought that this would be the way to go to support both native apps for Windows/Mac and the online 365 version of PowerPoint, but it's not as straight forward as that. The PPT API and Office.js comes with a great set of limitations and the behaviour and outcome of different API calls is found to be different on all plattforms, the biggest difference to be on the online version.

What I want to achieve at the moment is through the office.js and PPT API (JavaScript) to copy a shape (item) from one slide to another during editing. Mainly for the office 365 online version of PowerPoint. The best would be to be able to actually duplicate the whole slide with one API call.

At least from what I can see in Microsofts documentation the shapes array (ShapeCollection.Items) is ReadOnly and you can only add new shapes through the add methods and not directly to the items array.

I haven't found any documentation regarding a ShapeRange object in the Office.js and PPT API documentation, so this might be just for VBA?

The ultimate thing would be to be able to add shapes during editing and being able to manipulate these shapes when presenting. (Office 365 online, using JavaScript and the PPT API, we already do this on the native add-ins.)

Oskar Shon 866 Reputation points MVP

2023-01-04T19:27:18.683+00:00

"VBA is not an option as we are developing an add-in to work for both Windows, Mac and Office 365 (online version). VBA add-ins are only supported by Windows from what I have found."

Yep, I had the same problem to solve and VBA was for me solution powielanie-obrazkow-prezentacji

I see that JS is far, far, far away from VBA possibilities.
But that is a new way to build solutions so I've fingers cross for your success Thomas.
I can't help you this time.

Regards
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