Packaging ppt with IExpress

[Mitch Gallant]

The following article discusses how to package a ppt/pps along with any
linked files (audio etc..) for email or web distribution as an installer
package:
http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/pp2003/ppt2exe.html
Handy because IExpress is part of many Windows installations (including XP).

The article above discusses how do do this when PPT Viewer is included in
the installer.

However, I have not been able to get this packaging approach to work when I
am targetting clients who already have ppt installed and I package only the
ppt/pps file and the linked MP3 files.
The problem is with the launch condition in the dialog:
"Install Program To Launch" and the "Install Program"
If one uses the name of the ppt file (e.b. mypres.ppt) the exe does not
launch the ppt file.
I have tried specifying powerpnt.exe mypres.ppt, and also specify a bat
file in that setting. Nothing seems to work.

Has anyone done this with IExpress?
I can successfully launch a text document using the install program:
"notepad.exe myfile.txt"
but office apps fail to launch. Even including the full path name fails.

- Mitch

 

[Austin Myers]

Has anyone done this with IExpress?

Tried it a couple times, and then wrote PFCExpress. <g>


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Provider of PFCMedia http://www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Mitch Gallant]

I was a bit surprised that the launch condition implementation is not
similar to that of WinZIP SE.
IExpress compresses nicely .. but it looks like launching any applicaiton,
other than one actually in the archive itself, has issues.
- Mitch

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I can successfully launch a text document using the install program:

"notepad.exe myfile.txt"
but office apps fail to launch. Even including the full path name fails.

Notepad.exe is on the path so it doesn't need the full path to locate it.

If you need the full path, it'll probably need quotes around the full path to
the exe. What have you tried so far?

And fwiw, it wouldn't likely work on any of my computers because I rarely let
MS install Office where it thinks I want it to go today.

Start myfile.pps

works from the command line. Some variant on that or a bat file that does the
same thing might do the job

 

[Mitch Gallant]

Notepad.exe is on the path so it doesn't need the full path to locate it.

If you need the full path, it'll probably need quotes around the full path
to
the exe. What have you tried so far?

Yes that doesn't work either.
Also, mitch.txt by itself does NOT launch properly with IExpress. It needs
notepad.exe explicitly specified to launch. No idea why.

And fwiw, it wouldn't likely work on any of my computers because I rarely
let
MS install Office where it thinks I want it to go today.

Start myfile.pps

works from the command line. Some variant on that or a bat file that does
the
same thing might do the job

Tried bat files. No joy there either. Thanks for response.
- Mitch

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Also, mitch.txt by itself does NOT launch properly with IExpress. It needs

notepad.exe explicitly specified to launch. No idea why.

Shell vs ShellExecute or the equivalent, it sounds like.

In VB/VBA, Shell(string) is equivalent to typeing the string at a command
prompt -- typing mitch.txt wouldn't work there either.

Sometimes you have to play games with doubling up the quotes.

""c:\program files\whatever\program.exe""

 

[Mitch Gallant]

I've had someone with a strong bat and VBS background look at this he has
verified that in fact IExpress is problematic in directly launching .ppt
files as launch commands.
- Mitch

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I've had someone with a strong bat and VBS background look at this he has
verified that in fact IExpress is problematic in directly launching .ppt
files as launch commands.

Ah well. It was worth giving it a good prod in the ribs. Pity.