MacPPT: How to Use AppleScript with PowerPoint (273693)

MORE INFORMATION

Apple Computer, Inc. created AppleScript to automate repeated tasks. A script can control programs on your computer as well as computers on your network. For more information on AppleScript, refer to the following AppleScript Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

PowerPoint supports the following suite of AppleScript operations required to make it a scriptable program:

• Run
• Open
• Print
• Quit

For example, the following AppleScript code starts PowerPoint, opens the presentation Quarterly Report saved in the same folder as PowerPoint, prints the presentation, and then quits PowerPoint:

tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
   run
   open file "Quarterly Report"
   print file "Quarterly Report"
   quit
end tell
				

For AppleScript code to run successfully with PowerPoint, you need to turn off any opening dialog boxes in PowerPoint. To do so, follow the appropriate method for your version of PowerPoint.

Method 1: For Microsoft PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition

1. Start PowerPoint, and then in the PowerPoint dialog box, click Cancel.
2. On the Tools menu, click Preferences.
3. On the View tab, click to clear the Startup dialog check box, and then click OK.

Method 2: For Microsoft PowerPoint 2001 for Mac

1. Start PowerPoint.
2. In the Project Gallery dialog box, click to select the Do not show at startup check box, and then click OK.