PP2007 SDK? PP2010 new stuff?

[Hillbilly]

As a C# developer I want to get started developing with PP2007 noting I have
no Office dev experience at the moment. Which SDK do I need to get? The
Office Developer Center [1] does not list an SDK for PP2007.

Other getting started tips would be very helpful. The first thing I would
want to learn is how to get on the Ribbon. For anybody that has worked with
the Office 2010 bits is there anything new for PP worth talking about? I'm
interested in developing a "slideshow" SaaS and our biggest hurdle seems to
be the proprietary file format with no support in the framework as I
understand the circumstances.

[1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/aa905496.aspx

 

[Hillbilly]

Very helpful PP2010 review
http://www.pptblog.tlccreative.com/?blog=1&paged=4

 

[Hillbilly]

I found this tonight too
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc668192(VS.100).aspx which will
give me a taste of what I'm in for.

Am I correct then to conclude if we want to develop an app that will run PPT
slideshows from a web application or integrated with a Silverlight app our
code will have to parse OpenXML files for playback?

As a C# developer I want to get started developing with PP2007 noting I
have
no Office dev experience at the moment. Which SDK do I need to get? The
Office Developer Center [1] does not list an SDK for PP2007.

There isn't one. Basically, you use automation or if it suits your needs,
work
directly with the file format (see below)

Other getting started tips would be very helpful. The first thing I would
want to learn is how to get on the Ribbon.

Point google at this for a good set of sites to read:

site:microsoft.com ribbonx

For anybody that has worked with
the Office 2010 bits is there anything new for PP worth talking about?
I'm
interested in developing a "slideshow" SaaS and our biggest hurdle seems
to
be the proprietary file format with no support in the framework as I
understand the circumstances.

[1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/aa905496.aspx

One of the links on this page is to the SDK for the OpenXML format.
This is the new file format. It's essentially a lot of XML and other
support
files packaged up inside a ZIP archive. Save a file, tack .ZIP onto the
filename and doubleclick it for a look inside.


==============================
PPT Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.pptfaq.com/

PPTools add-ins for PowerPoint
http://www.pptools.com/

 

[Hillbilly]

If you just need to display a series of images of PPT slides but don't
need to
capture animations, you could automate PPT to export slides to images,
then do
whatever you like with those (embed them in HTML you generate, for
example).

<snip />

I started out thinking images would be my only option Steve. I've also got
to look into what can be done to reuse what PP can generate to HTML. What
I'm working on is a way to allow people to use PP to create slideshows that
can be uploaded to a server and played back in a Silverlight app. So I need
playback capabilities supporting as much of the capabilities PP provides
(2010 is looking very good from a customer's point of view but still, what I
read continues to imply Microsoft has no freaking clue how invaluable PP is
as a media composition app).

I'm trying to build a "digital signage" SaaS that runs the media on HDTVs
located in the bars, nightclubs and restaurants. I need Silverlight or may
even be using WPF because I also need to integrate content from an RSS feed
generator I've developed that is to be used to transport media like images
and slideshow enclosures but also be used to transport text announcements
that will scroll in the lower-third.

 

[Hillbilly]

I downloaded your add-in to give it a look-see. You should mod your web
page(s) to bring this to the attention of people regarding the way your
add-in is being used; especialluy digital signage which is growing quite
well. And what about this [1]? Would you know if we are going to have
Skydrive APIs anytime soon? Furthermore, if they wre really concerned about
developers as the big fat sweaty one claims they would put a ribbon on this
new website they are hosting and give us access via APIs to build new lines
of business.

I'm a former architect and Autodesk has been hosting "collaboration" but
they do crippleware and its been like going on 3-5 years just like Microsoft
is appearing to be implementing and releasing jack squat claiming its like
the neatest stff ever. yawn.

[1] http://tinyurl.com/ykk8295

 

[Hillbilly]

If Azure does not shape up by the time I am ready to build that part of the
services I would likely choose Amazon's cloud as they support .NET and SQL
Server and "streaming" but I will have to study what the oogles have to
offer.

I liked the way you named and used a placeholder grammar as its still
possible for me to continue to access the DOM to call web service(s) for
scrolling feeds in the lower-third of the same page.

I downloaded your add-in to give it a look-see. You should mod your web
page(s) to bring this to the attention of people regarding the way your
add-in is being used; especialluy digital signage which is growing quite
well.

Not a bad idea; I do something similar with another of our add-ins.

And what about this [1]? Would you know if we are going to have
Skydrive APIs anytime soon?

Not a clue, I'm afraid. But that does suggest another idea; have you
looked
into Google's APIs for their cloud apps?

Furthermore, if they wre really concerned about
developers as the big fat sweaty one claims they would put a ribbon on
this
new website they are hosting and give us access via APIs to build new
lines
of business.

I'm a former architect and Autodesk has been hosting "collaboration" but
they do crippleware and its been like going on 3-5 years just like
Microsoft
is appearing to be implementing and releasing jack squat claiming its
like
the neatest stff ever. yawn.

[1] http://tinyurl.com/ykk8295

<snip />
If you just need to display a series of images of PPT slides but
don't
need to
capture animations, you could automate PPT to export slides to
images,
then do
whatever you like with those (embed them in HTML you generate, for
example).

<snip />

I started out thinking images would be my only option Steve. I've also
got
to look into what can be done to reuse what PP can generate to HTML.

Approach that one with a bit of caution ... 2010 will no longer have
the
Save
as Web Page (ie, save as HTML) feature. In MSpeak, it's been
"deprecated". Or
as you, I, and the Red Queen would put it "Off with its head".

It's still exposed to automation but that could change in a later
version
or
even by release.

But the idea is to let users create the output on their own computers
and
upload to the server, right? That's probably the best bet, as it
eliminates
all of the "Don't automate PPT on the server" issues that MS brings up.

FWIW, one of my customers does something similar ... uses our PPT2HTML
add-in
to convert PPT to customizable HTML that gets pushed out to PCs running
big
displays as digital signage.

What
I'm working on is a way to allow people to use PP to create slideshows
that
can be uploaded to a server and played back in a Silverlight app. So I
need
playback capabilities supporting as much of the capabilities PP
provides
(2010 is looking very good from a customer's point of view but still,
what I
read continues to imply Microsoft has no freaking clue how invaluable
PP
is
as a media composition app).

I'm trying to build a "digital signage" SaaS that runs the media on
HDTVs
located in the bars, nightclubs and restaurants. I need Silverlight or
may
even be using WPF because I also need to integrate content from an RSS
feed
generator I've developed that is to be used to transport media like
images
and slideshow enclosures but also be used to transport text
announcements
that will scroll in the lower-third.


==============================
PPT Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.pptfaq.com/

PPTools add-ins for PowerPoint
http://www.pptools.com/

==============================
PPT Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.pptfaq.com/

PPTools add-ins for PowerPoint
http://www.pptools.com/

 

[Hillbilly]

It gives the user a lot of control, which was the intent. Really,
PPT2HTML is
more of a content extraction and substitution engine. There are only a
few
rare instances where it actually inserts HTML or other code.

==============================
PPT Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.pptfaq.com/

PPTools add-ins for PowerPoint
http://www.pptools.com/

I didn't get to try it out much because it hung on me after a change of mind
and clicking back and forth on other items in the same area of the ribbon
control where you write your menu item.