close/exit powerpoint via a button in a slideshow

  • Thread starter Thread starter robin
  • Start date Start date
R

robin

Hi there,
I've read through alot of threads here, but I didn't find exactly what
I am seeking. If I've overlooked it, please kindly point me to the
thread.

I'm tidying up a newly created e-learning/training tutorial using
linked powerpoint slideshows (one serves as the menu, with individual
learning units as separate ppts). Throughout the tutorial there is a
hyperlinked navigational menu: menu, help, back, next, resources)
I want to add a menu button = exit tutorial (i.e., completely close
down powerpoint, save no changes)

I've read through about every powerpoint resource I can think of, but
I can't seem to find the answer to this (yet, it would seem to be so
easy). I'm guessing this could be accomplished with activex(?)

Any suggestions or resources are greatly appreciated.
thanks,
robin
 
Well, the normal Action Setting for ending a presentation will have it
ask for saving changes. If you can use VBA, this should do the trick:

Sub Quit()
Application.Quit
End Sub


--David

--
David M. Marcovitz
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP
Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology
Loyola College in Maryland
Author of _Powerful PowerPoint for Educators_
http://www.PowerfulPowerPoint.com/
 
Robin, do you have presentation files open for editing or are they being run
as slide shows? If the former, that does make for an interesting challenge,
which would require a minimal level of programming along the lines that
David has already suggested to you. However, if these are slide shows being
run, the situation is much simpler: hyperlink to a completely final slide
that transitions out altogether. I can be more specific, but again, you
might very well be looking for the more ambitious solution to closing out of
PowerPoint when it has presentation files open for editing. (In which case,
I would love to know how you ultimately solve this...)




Rick Altman
---
Author
Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck...and how you can make them better
www.betterppt.com

Host
The PowerPoint Live User Conference
Oct 28-31 | The French Quarter of New Orleans
www.powerpointlive.com
 
Robin said:
Hi there,
I've read through alot of threads here, but I didn't find exactly what
I am seeking. If I've overlooked it, please kindly point me to the
thread.

I'm tidying up a newly created e-learning/training tutorial using
linked powerpoint slideshows (one serves as the menu, with individual
learning units as separate ppts). Throughout the tutorial there is a
hyperlinked navigational menu: menu, help, back, next, resources)
I want to add a menu button = exit tutorial (i.e., completely close
down powerpoint, save no changes)

I've read through about every powerpoint resource I can think of, but
I can't seem to find the answer to this (yet, it would seem to be so
easy). I'm guessing this could be accomplished with activex(?)
Click to expand...

The simplest way I know:

Put an End Show button wherever appropriate in each of the individual modules.
If I understand your setup correctly, that will end the module and take the
user back to the menu. Another End Show button on the menu will close the
entire presentation.

The two step process won't be much of a nuisance to the users and will prevent
the (imo larger) nuisance of accidentally ending the entire lesson when all
they meant to do was exit a particular module.

A bit of VBA could close the whole thing down if you prefer to do that, but
keep in mind that VBA won't work in the viewer, and that many systems may be
locked down to the point where macros won't run.

Sub OutaHere()
' Add this to the main menu presentation and each
' sub presentation
' Assign a Run Macro to the end show button in each
' and have it run this

Dim sMainMenu As String

' assumes that your menu presntation is named "MainMenu"
' change it here if not
sMainMenu = "MainMenu"

With ActivePresentation
' if anything's changed, toss it away
.Saved = True

' if the main menu is the active presentation just close it
If .Name = sMainMenu Then
.Close
Else
' some other presentation's open so close it AND the main menu
.Close
With Presentations(sMainMenu)
.Saved = True
.Close
End With
End If

End With

End Sub



End Sub
 
The simplest way I know:

Put an End Show button wherever appropriate in each of the individual modules.
If I understand your setup correctly, that will end the module and take the
user back to the menu. Another End Show button on the menu will close the
entire presentation.

The two step process won't be much of a nuisance to the users and will prevent
the (imo larger) nuisance of accidentally ending the entire lesson when all
they meant to do was exit a particular module.

A bit of VBA could close the whole thing down if you prefer to do that, but
keep in mind that VBA won't work in the viewer, and that many systems may be
locked down to the point where macros won't run.

Sub OutaHere()
' Add this to the main menu presentation and each
' sub presentation
' Assign a Run Macro to the end show button in each
' and have it run this

Dim sMainMenu As String

' assumes that your menu presntation is named "MainMenu"
' change it here if not
sMainMenu = "MainMenu"

With ActivePresentation
' if anything's changed, toss it away
.Saved = True

' if the main menu is the active presentation just close it
If .Name = sMainMenu Then
.Close
Else
' some other presentation's open so close it AND the main menu
.Close
With Presentations(sMainMenu)
.Saved = True
.Close
End With
End If

End With

End Sub

End Sub

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Click to expand...

Thanks all so much for your help. I think between these answers I
should find a workable solution.

Re: the question about slideshow vs. editable view of ppt.
The tutorial runs as a slideshow with manual navigation: prompts from
the user to click on various things to start/stop actions (i.e., flash
movies, various other embedded stuff like quizzes, webpages, etc.) and
a menu to navigate at their own speed.

Although it is meant to navigate sequentially (staffolding with each
unit building upon knowledge) for more experienced staff (or those
needing a refresher course), the ability to jump using the central
menu (a slideshow with links to the others) is a very handy feature.

Currently, I've been telling the tutorial review group, oh, just close
all when you are finished! ;-)

I will try creating the "close slideshow" intermediate step to see if
I can come up with something that makes sense to the user. I am
interested in the close powerpoint, too and may do a test version to
see if I can get it to run on a staff machine. I've already had to
work around some security issues, as all of these computers are under
fairly tight control.

This is my first attempt to build something so complex in ppt and I
have to say that I am impressed with how well it is working. I haven't
tried creating quizzes yet with it, but I could see where using
ActiveX in that way would have saved some of the original work I did
(creating content on the web and then embedding using LiveWeb).

Also, if anyone wants to see it when it is finished, drop me an email
at (e-mail address removed) and I will be glad to send you the link.
It is very audience specific and the content is probably not of
interest to most but I don't mind feedback on the powerpointness of it
(especially as this is my first effort wandering down the road of more
advanced use of ppt)....

thanks again,
robin
 
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