The program utilizes a PowerPoint template to generate slides from a xml database. Some of the names of the shapes are modified to contain XPath search expressions. The program searches for corresponding values which are inserted in the slide. A tree structure is assumed with one parent element (e.g. 'slides') under the root node and underneath a collection of children (e.g. 'slide') which are being utilized as data.
The Windows Script Host environment provides support for describing scripts, passing parameters, including external source files and loading type libraries. Here is the output which the framework shows to guide proper usage of the program:
xmlslides - Generates PowerPoint slides from XML data
Usage: xmlslides.wsf /input:value [/template:value] [/output:value]
Options:
input : i - Reference of XML database source file
template : t - Reference of PowerPoint template
output : o - Reference of PowerPoint target file
Example:
cscript xmlslides.wsf /input:source.xml /t:booklets.pot /o:"my CDs.ppt"
The utilities of the Virtuosi Digital Video Processing Environment all share a common set of functionality provided by source code templates and a modular support library. This basic functionality is generated by a Windows Script Host application wizard which provides handlers for optional and mandatory command line arguments. The framework supports short mnemonic aliases for named arguments. Programs generate standard errorlevel responses to problems during validation of arguments, file paths, file structure or ActiveX component loading.
Here are the specific capabilities of the xmlslides utility: