Aspose.Slides FOSS

The official open-source Python library by Aspose.Slides for creating, reading, and editing PowerPoint (.pptx) presentations.

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Installation

pip install aspose-slides-foss

Requires: Python 3.10+ and lxml (installed automatically as a dependency).

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Quick Start

import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

# Open an existing presentation
with slides.Presentation("input.pptx") as prs:
    print(f"Slides: {len(prs.slides)}")
    prs.save("output.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

# Create a new presentation
with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    slide = prs.slides[0]
    prs.save("new.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

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Features

• Presentation I/O — Open, create, and save .pptx files with full round-trip fidelity
• Slides — Add, remove, clone, reorder, and iterate slides
• Shapes — AutoShapes, PictureFrames, Tables, Connectors, GroupShapes
• Text — TextFrame, Paragraph, Portion with character, paragraph, and text frame formatting (including bullets)
• Charts — 70+ chart types, series, categories, axes, trendlines, error bars, legend, titles, data labels, markers, series groups, 3D
• Animations — Shape and text-level animations with sequences, effects, triggers, and motion paths
• Slide transitions — 60+ transition types with per-slide timing, advance settings, and morph support
• Themes — Color schemes, font schemes, format schemes, master/override themes
• Backgrounds — Per-slide and master slide backgrounds with solid/gradient/pattern/picture fills
• Fill — Solid, gradient, pattern, and picture fills
• Lines — Width, dash style, arrows, join and alignment
• Effects — Outer shadow, glow, soft edge, blur, reflection, inner shadow
• 3D — Bevel, camera, light rig, material, extrusion depth
• Document properties — Core, app, and custom properties
• Notes slides — Per-slide notes with header/footer management
• Comments — Threaded comments with authors, timestamps, and positions
• Images — Embed from file, bytes, or stream
• Markdown export — Save presentation text as Markdown in 24 flavor dialects, with tables, lists, headings, comments, and chart data

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Usage Examples

Shapes

from aspose.slides_foss import ShapeType
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    slide = prs.slides[0]
    shape = slide.shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 50, 50, 300, 100)
    shape.add_text_frame("Hello, world!")
    prs.save("shapes.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Text Formatting

from aspose.slides_foss import ShapeType, NullableBool, FillType
from aspose.slides_foss.drawing import Color
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    shape = prs.slides[0].shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 50, 50, 400, 150)
    tf = shape.add_text_frame("Formatted text")
    fmt = tf.paragraphs[0].portions[0].portion_format
    fmt.font_height = 24
    fmt.font_bold = NullableBool.TRUE
    fmt.fill_format.fill_type = FillType.SOLID
    fmt.fill_format.solid_fill_color.color = Color.from_argb(255, 0, 70, 127)
    prs.save("text.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Table

import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    table = prs.slides[0].shapes.add_table(50, 50, [120.0, 120.0, 120.0], [40.0, 40.0])
    table.rows[0][0].text_frame.text = "Name"
    table.rows[0][1].text_frame.text = "Value"
    prs.save("table.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Connector

from aspose.slides_foss import ShapeType
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    slide = prs.slides[0]
    box1 = slide.shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 50, 100, 150, 60)
    box2 = slide.shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 350, 100, 150, 60)
    conn = slide.shapes.add_connector(ShapeType.BENT_CONNECTOR3, 0, 0, 10, 10)
    conn.start_shape_connected_to = box1
    conn.start_shape_connection_site_index = 3  # right
    conn.end_shape_connected_to = box2
    conn.end_shape_connection_site_index = 1    # left
    prs.save("connector.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Fill

from aspose.slides_foss import ShapeType, FillType
from aspose.slides_foss.drawing import Color
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    shape = prs.slides[0].shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 50, 50, 300, 150)
    shape.fill_format.fill_type = FillType.SOLID
    shape.fill_format.solid_fill_color.color = Color.from_argb(255, 30, 120, 200)
    prs.save("fill.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Notes

import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    notes = prs.slides[0].notes_slide_manager.add_notes_slide()
    notes.notes_text_frame.text = "Speaker notes go here."
    prs.save("notes.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Comments

from aspose.slides_foss.drawing import PointF
from datetime import datetime
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    author = prs.comment_authors.add_author("Jane Smith", "JS")
    slide = prs.slides[0]
    author.comments.add_comment("Review this slide", slide, PointF(2.0, 2.0), datetime.now())
    prs.save("comments.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Document Properties

import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    prs.document_properties.title = "Q1 Results"
    prs.document_properties.author = "Finance Team"
    prs.document_properties.set_custom_property_value("Version", 3)
    prs.save("deck.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Chart

Build a chart from scratch by populating its backing workbook:

from aspose.slides_foss.charts import ChartType
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    slide = prs.slides[0]

    # Pass has_default_data=False to start with an empty workbook
    chart = slide.shapes.add_chart(ChartType.CLUSTERED_COLUMN, 50, 50, 600, 400, False)
    chart.chart_title.add_text_frame_for_overriding("Quarterly Sales")

    cd = chart.chart_data
    wb = cd.chart_data_workbook  # embedded XLSX workbook backing the chart

    cd.series.clear()
    cd.categories.clear()

    # Workbook layout (worksheet 0):
    #          col 0   col 1      col 2
    #  row 0            "Revenue"  "Expenses"   <- series name row
    #  row 1   "Q1"     1200       800
    #  row 2   "Q2"     1500       900
    #  row 3   "Q3"     1800       1000
    #  row 4   "Q4"     2100       1100

    # Categories — column 0, rows 1..4
    for row, name in enumerate(["Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"], start=1):
        cd.categories.add(wb.get_cell(0, row, 0, name))

    # Series 1 (Revenue) — name at (row 0, col 1), values at (rows 1..4, col 1)
    s1 = cd.series.add(wb.get_cell(0, 0, 1, "Revenue"), chart.type)
    for row, value in enumerate([1200, 1500, 1800, 2100], start=1):
        s1.data_points.add_data_point_for_bar_series(wb.get_cell(0, row, 1, value))

    # Series 2 (Expenses) — name at (row 0, col 2), values at (rows 1..4, col 2)
    s2 = cd.series.add(wb.get_cell(0, 0, 2, "Expenses"), chart.type)
    for row, value in enumerate([800, 900, 1000, 1100], start=1):
        s2.data_points.add_data_point_for_bar_series(wb.get_cell(0, row, 2, value))

    prs.save("chart.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

wb.get_cell(worksheet_index, row, column, value) writes the value to the embedded XLSX and returns a cell reference that the chart series and categories bind to.

Slide Transition

from aspose.slides_foss.slideshow import TransitionType
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    slide = prs.slides[0]
    slide.slide_show_transition.type = TransitionType.CIRCLE
    slide.slide_show_transition.advance_on_click = True
    slide.slide_show_transition.advance_after_time = 3000  # ms
    prs.save("transition.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Group Shape

from aspose.slides_foss import ShapeType
import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat

with slides.Presentation() as prs:
    slide = prs.slides[0]
    group = slide.shapes.add_group_shape()
    group.shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 300, 100, 100, 100)
    group.shapes.add_auto_shape(ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 500, 100, 100, 100)
    group.name = "TwoRectangles"
    prs.save("group.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX)

Markdown Export

import aspose.slides_foss as slides
from aspose.slides_foss.export import SaveFormat, MarkdownSaveOptions, Flavor, NewLineType

with slides.Presentation("input.pptx") as prs:
    # Save the whole presentation with default options
    prs.save("output.md", SaveFormat.MD)

    # Or customize the output
    options = MarkdownSaveOptions()
    options.flavor = Flavor.GITHUB
    options.new_line_type = NewLineType.UNIX
    options.show_slide_number = True
    options.slide_number_format = "## Slide {0}"
    options.show_hidden_slides = True
    options.show_comments = True
    prs.save("custom.md", SaveFormat.MD, options)

    # Save only selected slides (1-based, order and repeats respected)
    prs.save("subset.md", [2, 1], SaveFormat.MD, options)

Text frames, tables, lists, titles/subtitles (as headings), comments, and chart data are exported; the export is text-only, so images, media, and SmartArt are skipped.

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Limitations

The following areas are not yet implemented and will raise NotImplementedError:

• SmartArt, OLE objects, mathematical text
• Export to PDF, HTML, SVG, and image formats
• VBA macros, digital signatures
• Hyperlinks and action settings

Unknown XML parts encountered during load are preserved verbatim on save — opening and re-saving a file will never strip content this library does not yet understand.

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Links

• GitHub Repository
• Issue Tracker

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License

MIT License