brucemcpherson / slidesmerge

SlidesMerge created by GasGit automation

Google Apps Script Project: SlidesMerge

This repo (SlidesMerge) was automatically created on 07 June 2017 16:59:08 BST by GasGit for more information see the desktop liberation site you can see library and dependency information here

This is source code for the slidesmerge add-on

see here for details https://ramblings.mcpher.com/apps-script/add-ons/slidesmerge-add-on/

see video for how to use here https://youtu.be/rMXC86fV0Ek

install from addon store in sheets.

slidesmerge's Issues

Import .emf

This is not really an issue, but a welcome feature. If the picture function would allow to import .emf files, then you can actually import vector files into the slides, that can then be edited by the user to do the final touches to the created powerpoint.

Adding support for inserting charts

Charts have an id, but it's only settable by apps script., and in any case the Apps Script ID is not the same as the Sheets API chart id., Charts are also likely to be across multiple sheets. For comment..
This is how I plan to support inserting of charts
The global name.value sheet can be used to insert a chart
Name,value
mychart,chart
And in the template

• {{mychart}} this insert a chart that is still linked to the original data
• {{{mychart}}} this inserts a static image of a chart

The chart is defined as below..

Since the chartID is unlikely to be known, use its position in the chart list (starting at 1), with the prefix chart as below, so you can use its id, if known or its position.

• chart.1

To insert charts from a different sheet than the default data sheet, you can specify the sheetname.

• chart.sheetname.2

If sheets have "." in the name, then quote them

• chart."sheet.name.with.dots".3

Charts can also be inserted from column data. Just name the column and use that as the key in the template eg .. {{datachart}}

and the contents of the column follow the same scheme as above.

Extension blocked in Sheets add-ons store

Now, Google blocks this add-on because it (still) not passed a security check. Is there a way to speed up this process, sent it on review or anything else?

Master slide indices

This setting seems to be ignored for every slide except the first.

When I enter 1,2,4,5 (only slide 3 should be repeated), it will repeat slides 2,3,4,5 instead.

Fail with null textElements with some templates

This happens when a pagelement exists in a template but has no properties. Not clear why this would ever happen, but it seems to.

Display Slide Only If Data Is Available

Let's say I have two template slides: A & B. A represents objective information, and B represents debate.

Example (A): World War Two was from 1939-45

Example (B): Should the U.S. have intervened in World War 1?

For simplicity's sake, let's say that for every 25 "A" Slides there is 1 "B" slide. However, I don't want 24 empty "B" slides showing up in between. Is there a way to only show "B" slides when there is data in the corresponding cell?

Store settings in sheet

Would it be possible to store the merge settings in the sheet? Now they have to be reset every time the sheet loads.

Add to slides from form submission

I would love it to be possible to merge data to one slideshow on each form submission!
Do you think that to be possible?
So each form submission triggers your add-on to from the sheet to the slideshow.

Global variables typerror

It seems that all global variables need to be formatted as text (also integers), otherwise a typeerror is thrown

Repeated content

I'm wondering if it's possible to use SlidesMerge to create a series of stickies (e.g.
https://learninginhand.com/blog/print-custom-sticky-notes-with-google-slides)

Master slide parsing

The master slide is not parsed when variables are added to it. That woud be a great feature.

Substitutions in tables not working

Tables were not being properly searched for embedded placeholders. Fixed 1.0.7

Get elements from other decks

Planning to add a new capability to get elements from other decks.

To start with, this will apply to groups and shapes, and those must be at the top level of slide from which they are taken.

The reference syntax will be
slides.slideid.slidenumber.elementtype.elementnumberofthattype

templating will be the same as with other variables

This is on hold for now - please see and star https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/36761705 which is blocking this being possible.