In my work, I need to create PowerPoint (ppt) report of similar template.  For the report, I need to create various plots in Excel or JMP, save it to folders and finally paste them to ppt. It be great if it is possible to generate ppt report  rapidly by using automation. I have created a python interface to powerpoint using com commands hoping it will help to generate the report automatically.

The initial idea is to add command to paste the plots at specific slides and specific positions. The problem with this is that I have to set the position values and picture sizes for each graph in the python script. This become tedious and have to set independently for each report type.

The new idea will be to give the script a scanned template and the script will do the following commands:

1. Create a template ppt with the graphs at particular slide, position and size set.
2. Rename each object that you need to copy with the keywords such as ‘xyplot_Qty_year’ which after parsing will require a xyplot with qty as y axis and year as x axis. This will then get the corresponding graph with the same type and qty path and link them together.
3. See the link on how to rename objects.
4. The script will scan through all the slide, getting all info of picture that need to be pasted by having the keyword. It will note the x and y positon and the size.
5. The script will then search the required folder for the saved pic file of the same type and will paste them to a new ppt.

The advantage of this approach is that multiple scanned template can be created. The picture position can be adjusted easily as well.

Sample of the script is as below. It is not a fully executable script.

import os
import re
import sys

import pyPPT

class ppt_scanner(object):
    def __init__(self):

        # ppt setting
        self.ppt_scanned_filename = r'\\SGP-L071166D033\Chengai main folder\Chengai setup files\scanned_template.ppt'

        # scanned plot results
        self.full_scanned_info = dict()
        self.scanned_y_list = list()

        # plots file save location where keyword is the param scanned
        self.bivar_plots_dict = dict()# to be filled in 

        #ppt plot results
        ##store the slide no and the corresponding list of pic
        self.ppt_slide_bivar_pic_name_dict = dict()

    def initialize_ppt(self):
        '''
            Initialize the ppt object.
            Open the template ppt and save it to target filename as ppt and work it from there
            None --> None (create the ppt obj)

        '''
        self.pptobj = UsePPT()                                          # New ppt for pasting the results.
        self.pptobj.show()
        self.pptobj.save(self.ppt_save_filename)
        self.scanned_template_ppt = UsePPT(self.ppt_scanned_filename)   # Template for new ppt to follow
        self.scanned_template_ppt.show()

    def close_all_ppt(self):
        """ Close all existing ppt. 

        """
        self.pptobj.close()
        self.scanned_template_ppt.close()

## Scanned ppt obj function
    def get_plot_info_fr_scan_ppt_slide(self, slide_no):
        """ Method (pptobj) to get info from template scanned ppt.priorty to get the x, y coordinates of pasting.
            Only get the Object name starting with plot.
            Straight away stored info in various plot classification
            Args:
                Slide_no (int): ppt slide num
            Returns:
                (list): properties of all objects in slide no

        """
        all_obj_list =  self.scanned_template_ppt.get_all_shapes_properties(slide_no)
        self.classify_info_to_related_group(slide_no, [n for n in all_obj_list if n[0].startswith("plot_")] )
        return [n for n in all_obj_list if n[0].startswith("plot_")]

    def get_plot_info_fr_all_scan_ppt_slide(self):
        """ Get all info from all slides. Store info to self.full_scanned_info.

        """
        for slide_no in range(1,self.scanned_template_ppt.count_slide()+1,1):
            self.get_plot_info_fr_scan_ppt_slide(slide_no)

    def classify_info_to_related_group(self, slide_no, info_list_fr_one_slide):
        """Group to one consolidated group: main dict is slide num with list of name, pos as key.
            Append to the various plot groups. Get the keyword name and the x,y pos.
            Will also store the columns for the y-axis (self.scanned_y_list).
            Args:
                slide_no (int): slide num to place in ppt.
                info_list_fr_one_slide (list):

        """
        temp_plot_biv_info, temp_plot_tab_info, temp_plot_legend_info = [[],[],[]]
        for n in info_list_fr_one_slide:
            if n[0].startswith('plot_biv_'):
                temp_plot_biv_info.append([n[0].encode().replace('plot_biv_',''),n[1],n[2], n[3], n[4]])
                self.scanned_y_list.append(n[0].encode().replace('plot_biv_',''))

        self.ppt_slide_bivar_pic_name_dict[slide_no] = temp_plot_biv_info

## pptObj -- handling the pasting
    def paste_all_plots_to_all_ppt_slide(self):
        """ Paste the respective plots to ppt.
        """
        ## use the number of page as scanned template
        for slide_no in range(1,self.pptobj.count_slide()+1,1):
            self.paste_plots_to_slide(slide_no)

    def paste_plots_to_slide(self, slide_no):
        """ Paste all required plots to particular slide
            Args:
                slide_no (int): slide num to place in ppt.

        """
        ## for all biv plots
        for n in self.ppt_slide_bivar_pic_name_dict[slide_no]:
            if self.bivar_plots_dict.has_key(n[0]):
                filename = self.bivar_plots_dict[n[0]]
                pic_obj = self.pptobj.insert_pic_fr_file_to_slide(slide_no, filename, n[1], n[2], (n[4],n[3])) 

if (__name__ == "__main__"):

    prep = ppt_scanner()

    prep.initialize_ppt()

    ## scanned all info -- scanned template function
    prep.get_plot_info_fr_all_scan_ppt_slide()
    prep.scanned_template_ppt.close()

    ## paste plots
    prep.paste_all_plots_to_all_ppt_slide()
    prep.pptobj.save()

    print 'Completed'