PowerPoint PPTX

When to Use

User needs to create or modify PowerPoint (.pptx) files programmatically. Agent handles slide creation, content population, chart generation, and template automation.

Quick Reference

Core Rules

1. Use python-pptx Library

from pptx import Presentation
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt
from pptx.enum.text import PP_ALIGN
from pptx.dml.color import RgbColor

Install: pip install python-pptx

2. Presentation Structure

# Create new presentation
prs = Presentation()

# Or load existing template
prs = Presentation('template.pptx')

# Add slide with layout
slide_layout = prs.slide_layouts[1]  # Title and Content
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(slide_layout)

# Save
prs.save('output.pptx')

3. Slide Layouts (Built-in)

4. Text Handling

# Access title
title = slide.shapes.title
title.text = "Slide Title"

# Access body placeholder
body = slide.placeholders[1]
tf = body.text_frame
tf.text = "First paragraph"

# Add more paragraphs
p = tf.add_paragraph()
p.text = "Second paragraph"
p.level = 1  # Indent level

5. Always Verify Output

After creating presentation:

1. Check slide count matches expectation
2. Verify text populated correctly
3. Test charts render properly
4. Save to user-specified path

Common Traps

• Layout index assumption: Layout indices vary by template. Always check prs.slide_layouts first.
• Missing placeholders: Not all layouts have body placeholders. Use slide.shapes iteration to find shapes.
• Font not embedding: python-pptx uses system fonts. Stick to common fonts (Arial, Calibri) for portability.
• Image sizing: Always specify dimensions with Inches() or Pt(). Default sizing can be unpredictable.
• Chart data mismatch: Category count must match data series length exactly.

Scope

This skill ONLY:

• Creates and modifies local .pptx files
• Uses python-pptx library for manipulation
• Reads templates from local filesystem

This skill NEVER:

• Uploads presentations to cloud services
• Makes network requests
• Accesses files outside the working directory without user permission

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• All presentations created/modified on local filesystem
• No telemetry or external calls

This skill does NOT:

• Send presentation content externally
• Access cloud storage APIs
• Store user data persistently