Create Powerpoint with JavaScript

Question

JavaScript cannot create files locally on the clients filesystem. However, I am wondering, if it is possible to somehow create a Powerpoint MIME in a web page (a div or a iframe) from some JSON and then let the UserAgent figure out it is Powerpoint in the expectation that the UserAgent will offer the user the choice to display it as a powerpoint presentation?

Note: The idea here is to be able to take some JSON and make a powerpoint presentation without having to make a request to a Server to create a Powerpoint file.

Maybe like code.google.com/p/jspdf. Maybe you can use the same approach. — Prusse
– Prusse, Commented Aug 27, 2012 at 15:00

apsillers · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-20 14:07:32Z

9

One JavaScript library that can generate Powerpoint binary files is PptxGenJS.

Genreally speaking, you can create a link with a data URL that has a Powerpoint MIME type:

 data:ms-powerpoint;base64,aGVsbG8gd... // base64-encoded file

Run your logic to create a binary Powerpoint file, then base64-encode it (e.g. with btoa), and then dynamically generate a link or redirect window.location to the data URI.

var binaryPPFile = createPowerpointFromJSON(sourceJSON);
window.location = "data:ms-powerpoint;base64," + btoa(binaryPPFile);

My hypothetical createPowerpointFromJSON function might make calls to the PptxGenJS API, or any other Powerpoint-generating API.

edited Nov 20, 2018 at 14:07

answered Aug 27, 2012 at 15:03

apsillers

117k18 gold badges248 silver badges249 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

4 Comments

dublintech Over a year ago

thanks any tips for what createPowerpointFromJSON would look like?

apsillers Over a year ago

@dublintech I'm afraid I don't. I imagine that the Powerpoint standard is huge and complex, and there are probably no JavaScript libraries for Powerpoint document creation. If you are willing to use PDF instead of Powerpoint, [jspdf]( code.google.com/p/jspdf) is a library for creating PDF documents in JS.

dublintech Over a year ago

yeah that seems to be a consensus. So I don't think anyone will beat your answer so I'll mark it as answered. Thanks.

climboid Over a year ago

This definitely works creating a ppt file but say if I already have a ppt file in xml format, can I prompt the user to download that xml and set the mime type to power point so that power point can open what it had originally saved as XML?

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Create Powerpoint with JavaScript

1 Answer 1

4 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

4 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related