What makes text appear in the outline pane?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ljb
  • Start date Start date
L

ljb

What determines when text is shown in the Outline pane? When I create a new
show using "Blank" AutoLayout no text shows in the outline. The other
AutoLayout templates seem to use the same text boxes and their text shows in
the outline. I'm creating a slide show from Access and none of the templates
do what I need. However I would still like to have the outline usable.

thanks
LJB
 
Text entered in the title and text placeholders from the slide layout will
appear in the Outline pane. Text entered in normal text boxes that you add to a
slide do not appear in the Outline pane. If you start with a blank slide layout
which has not placeholders, no text added to the slide will appear in the
Outline pane.
--

Sonia Coleman
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team
Autorun Software, Templates and Tutorials
http://www.soniacoleman.com
 
Is it possible to generate these required placeholders by VBA? Do I need to
create my own template based on one that has titles/placeholders and use it?

thanks
LJB
 
Is it possible to generate these required placeholders by VBA? Do I need to
create my own template based on one that has titles/placeholders and use it?
Click to expand...

You can add placeholders to masters using VBA, but only to a limited degree.
For example, if there's already one title placeholder present, you can't add
another.

Whether you add placeholders via VBA or by basing your presentation on a
template that already has the needed placeholders is up to you; either will
put text in the outline, so whichever one suits your needs better is the one to
go with.
 
Do you have some sample VBA code that shows how to add one placeholder? I
haven't found the info in PPT 2000 object model.

thanks
 
Sure. For example, to add a new date placeholder, this:

ActivePresentation.SlideMaster.Shapes.AddPlaceholder _
Type:=ppPlaceholderDate

It's often helpful to record a macro while you do stuff to see what PPT comes
up with. Go to master view, delete the placeholder you're interested in, start
the recorder, manually add the placeholder back (Format, Master Layout) and
stop the recorder. Bingo.
 
I will certainly give it a try. I know I looked at AddPlaceholder in the
help file earlier but assumed it literally meant what it said

"Restores a previously deleted placeholder on a slide. Note If you haven't
previously deleted the specified placeholder, this method causes an error."

Since my slides started without any placeholders I assumed I couldn't add
any. I will try anyway.

thanks
LJB
 
I will certainly give it a try. I know I looked at AddPlaceholder in the
help file earlier but assumed it literally meant what it said

"Restores a previously deleted placeholder on a slide. Note If you haven't
previously deleted the specified placeholder, this method causes an error."

Since my slides started without any placeholders I assumed I couldn't add
any. I will try anyway.
Click to expand...

Note that you add placeholders to Masters, not slides.
 
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