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Aspose.Slides FOSS for C++

Create, read, and edit PowerPoint presentations from C++ — free and open-source, no Office dependency required.

Aspose.Slides FOSS for C++ Aspose.Slides FOSS
for C++

Documentation GitHub

Open-Source C++ Library for PowerPoint Presentations

Aspose.Slides FOSS for C++ is a MIT-licensed library for working with PowerPoint .pptx files. Integrate it via CMake FetchContent and immediately start creating, reading, and editing presentations without installing Microsoft Office or any proprietary runtime.

The library exposes a Presentation API built around Presentation, Slide, ShapeCollection, TextFrame, Paragraph, and Portion, the conceptual model used by PowerPoint itself. Add and remove slides, insert AutoShapes, Tables, and Connectors, format text at character level with bold, italic, font size and color, apply solid or gradient fills, and add visual effects (shadow, glow, blur, reflection).

RAII semantics ensure reliable resource cleanup: the Presentation destructor releases all internal state automatically. Unknown XML parts encountered during load are preserved verbatim on save, so round-tripping never destroys content the library does not yet understand. The library requires a C++20-compliant compiler.

Presentation and Slide API

  • Create and open PPTX: Create new presentations or open existing .pptx files via Presentation() or Presentation(path).
  • Add and remove slides: Programmatically manage the SlideCollection with add_clone(), remove(), and remove_at().
  • AutoShapes: Insert rectangles, ellipses, lines, and other ShapeType geometries via add_auto_shape().
  • Tables and Connectors: Add structured table shapes and connector lines between shapes via add_connector().
  • Speaker notes: Read and write per-slide speaker notes through NotesSlideManager.
  • Threaded comments: Access slide-level comment threads with get_slide_comments().

Where Aspose.Slides FOSS Can Be Used

  • Report generation: Build branded slide decks from data sources without Office.
  • Template automation: Fill PPTX templates with dynamic content in CI/CD pipelines.
  • Content migration: Read existing presentations and restructure or re-style slides.
  • Embedded systems: Process PPTX files in performance-critical or resource-constrained environments.
  • Batch processing: Apply uniform formatting changes across large slide deck libraries.

Text Formatting and Visual Effects

  • Character-level formatting: Apply bold, italic, font size, and color to individual Portion objects via PortionFormat.
  • Solid and gradient fills: Set shape fill to a solid color or multi-stop linear gradient using FillFormat and FillType.
  • Shadow and glow effects: Apply outer shadow, glow, blur, and reflection to any shape via EffectFormat.
  • Paragraph alignment: Set left, center, right, or justify alignment per paragraph using ParagraphFormat and set_alignment().
  • Round-trip safe: Unknown XML parts are preserved verbatim on re-save.

Developer Experience

Aspose.Slides FOSS integrates via CMake FetchContent, so no manual download or system-wide installation is needed. The library builds from source alongside your project.

The API mirrors PowerPoint’s own object model (Presentation, Slide, ShapeCollection, TextFrame, Paragraph, Portion), so anyone familiar with the PowerPoint object model can use the library immediately. It is MIT-licensed, open-source on GitHub, and requires a C++20-compliant compiler.

Create a Presentation and Add a Shape

RAII ensures the Presentation destructor releases all resources automatically when the object goes out of scope. add_auto_shape() takes a ShapeType enum, then x/y position and width/height in points — the shape’s text_frame provides access to set text content.

include(FetchContent)
FetchContent_Declare(
  aspose_slides_foss
  GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/aspose-slides-foss/Aspose.Slides-FOSS-for-Cpp.git
  GIT_TAG main
)
FetchContent_MakeAvailable(aspose_slides_foss)

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/auto_shape.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/export/save_format.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/shape_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/shape_type.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/slide.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/slide_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/text_frame.h>

int main() {
    Aspose::Slides::Foss::Presentation prs;
    auto& slide = prs.slides()[0];

    // Add a rectangle AutoShape
    auto& shape = slide.shapes().add_auto_shape(
        Aspose::Slides::Foss::ShapeType::RECTANGLE,
        50, 50, 400, 150
    );
    shape.text_frame()->set_text("Hello, Aspose.Slides!");

    prs.save("output.pptx", Aspose::Slides::Foss::SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

Format Text and Apply a Fill Effect

Text formatting works at the Portion level — the smallest unit of a run of characters. Open the saved file, navigate to the first portion of the first paragraph, and set font properties directly. Shape fill is independent: set the fill type to solid and assign a color.

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>

namespace asf = Aspose::Slides::Foss;

int main() {
    asf::Presentation prs("output.pptx");
    auto& shape = prs.slides()[0].shapes()[0];
    auto& portion = shape.text_frame()
        ->paragraphs()[0].portions()[0];

    // Bold, 18pt text
    portion.portion_format().set_font_bold(asf::NullableBool::TRUE);
    portion.portion_format().set_font_height(18);

    // Solid background fill on the shape
    shape.fill_format().set_fill_type(asf::FillType::SOLID);

    prs.save("formatted.pptx", asf::SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Aspose.Slides FOSS for C++?

It is a free, MIT-licensed C++ library for creating, reading, and editing PowerPoint .pptx presentations without requiring Microsoft Office.

Which file formats are supported?

PPTX is the supported read/write format. Export to PDF, HTML, SVG, or images is not available in this edition.

Does it require Microsoft Office or PowerPoint?

No. Aspose.Slides FOSS is a standalone C++ library with no dependency on Microsoft Office, COM automation, or any proprietary runtime.

How do I install it?

Use CMake FetchContent to integrate the library directly from GitHub. The library requires a C++20-compliant compiler.

Can I apply visual effects like shadow and glow?

Yes. The library supports outer shadow, glow, blur, and reflection effects on any shape object via the EffectFormat API.

Does the library use RAII for resource management?

Yes. The Presentation destructor releases all internal state automatically, so no explicit cleanup is needed.

Will round-tripping a PPTX destroy unknown content?

No. Unknown XML parts encountered during load are preserved verbatim on save, so content the library does not yet understand is never lost.

Where can I find the source code?

The library is MIT-licensed and hosted on GitHub. Bug reports and pull requests are welcome.

  

Support and Learning Resources

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