Generating multiple PPTs with db-driven data

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Guest

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 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....
Click to expand...

Is there something you can do with PPT macros that you couldn't do by driving
PPT remotely from your VB app? I'd think not, and keeping it all in one app
would simplify things enormously, no? You can always develop the PPT part in
PPT VBA (easier to test bits of it at a time that way) then copy/paste the code
into your VB app. You simply need to drill into the PPT OM through a reference
to the PPT application that you've created.
 
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