CODEWITHSUNDEEP
vbacomms-officevstopowerpoint
Arie Livshin
Arie Livshin

Reputation: 885

Use powerpoint object-model without running the powerpoint application

I need to create a server which allows multiple users to connect, upload their Powerpoint presentations and get modified presentations back. The presentations should be processed simultaneously (using threads). Powerpoint is installed on the server.

Is there a way to use the powerpoint object-model without running the full powerpoint application? (I already know I can use OpenXML, but I'm asking about the object model.)

Anybody knows if presentations could indeed be processed simultaneously (perhaps in different windows or instances)?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 860

Answers (1)

Steve Rindsberg
Steve Rindsberg

Reputation: 3528

There has to be an instance of PowerPoint to automate before you can automate an instance of PowerPoint.

You can't access its object model without running it.

PowerPoint only allows one instance of itself, so multiple simultaneous instances isn't possible, at least on a per user login basis ... you might be able to make it fly by running multiple instances inside multiple login sessions. Mutltiple VMs running a copy each of PPT might be another possibility.

While you can open multiple presentations inside a single instance of PPT, it would be counterproductive. It wouldn't make the processing happen any more quickly; would probably slow things down because multiple open presentations would consume more resources.

In my experience, your best bet is to serialize the process so that you open and process one file at a time. Since you mention multiple windows, let me toss this in: if at all possible, don't open any presentations in a window; in most cases it's not necessary, and keeping the presentation hidden will speed things up considerably.

Upvotes: 5

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