M
mstuehler
All,
I'm working on a project in which I need to generate multiple PPTs with
db-driven data.
In other words:
- I have a database with several hundred client records. Each client record
has several hundred datapoints.
- I have a standard PPT "template" - it's contains about 20 slides with
various charts and tables.
- I would like to retireve data from the first client record, and use it to
populate the PPT template, then save that PPT with a new name (e.g.
"client1.ppt")
- I would repeat the process for each client record (ultimately producing a
seperate PPT for each client).
I'm trying to decide on the best way to build such a system. Options:
1. Create a VB application that retrieves client data from the db, then
creates a PPT instance, loads the template in that instance, passes it all of
the data (somehow), then fires a bunch of macros in the PPT to put the data
in the right place, then saves the PPT with the correct name, then repeats....
2. Create a super-macro in PowerPoint that can retrieve data from a database
(somehow), and handle all of the work by itself.
3. ???
One final complication - the database isn't local - my application would
query the db and retrieve data preferrably through an ASP page. Ideally, the
ASP would return data as XML. This may rule out option 2, since I don't know
if a PowerPoint macro can call ASP pages and load XML...
Any advice, suggestions, or insight will be much appreciated!
Cheers to all,
Matt Stuehler
I'm working on a project in which I need to generate multiple PPTs with
db-driven data.
In other words:
- I have a database with several hundred client records. Each client record
has several hundred datapoints.
- I have a standard PPT "template" - it's contains about 20 slides with
various charts and tables.
- I would like to retireve data from the first client record, and use it to
populate the PPT template, then save that PPT with a new name (e.g.
"client1.ppt")
- I would repeat the process for each client record (ultimately producing a
seperate PPT for each client).
I'm trying to decide on the best way to build such a system. Options:
1. Create a VB application that retrieves client data from the db, then
creates a PPT instance, loads the template in that instance, passes it all of
the data (somehow), then fires a bunch of macros in the PPT to put the data
in the right place, then saves the PPT with the correct name, then repeats....
2. Create a super-macro in PowerPoint that can retrieve data from a database
(somehow), and handle all of the work by itself.
3. ???
One final complication - the database isn't local - my application would
query the db and retrieve data preferrably through an ASP page. Ideally, the
ASP would return data as XML. This may rule out option 2, since I don't know
if a PowerPoint macro can call ASP pages and load XML...
Any advice, suggestions, or insight will be much appreciated!
Cheers to all,
Matt Stuehler