ACC97: How to Create a Microsoft Graph in PowerPoint Using Microsoft Access

• Microsoft Access 97
• Microsoft PowerPoint For Windows

SUMMARY

This article shows you how to use Automation to create a Microsoft Graph object on a Microsoft PowerPoint 97 slide from Microsoft Access 97 by using a Microsoft Access table.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access 97" manual.

NOTE: A demonstration of the technique used in this article can be seen in the sample file, Grphsm97.exe. For information about how to obtain this sample file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q186855 ACC97: Microsoft Access 97 Sample Graphs Available on MSL

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.



2. Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section, if it is not already there:




Option Explicit 

3. Type the following procedures:




    Function CreateGraphFromFile(CGFF_PPTFileName As String, _
       CGFF_Tablename As String, CGFF_SavedPPT As String) As Boolean

    '**********************************************************************
    'Function:  CreateGraphFromFile
    'Purpose:   Create a graph on a PowerPoint Slide using a Microsoft
    '           Access table.
    '
    'Arguments: CGFF_PPTFilename - name of the new PowerPoint presentation
    '           file that you want to create. You must include the file
    '           name and path.
    '
    '           CGFF_Tablename- name of the Microsoft Access table or query
    '
    '           CGFF_SavedPPT - name of a previously saved PowerPoint
    '           presentation with a graph object already on it. An
    '           empty string ("") if you want to use a blank presentation
    '
    '
    'Returns:  True if successful or False if not.
    '
    '****************************************************************

    On Error GoTo ERR_CGFF
    Dim oDataSheet As Object
    Dim shpGraph As Object, Shpcnt As Integer, FndGraph As Boolean
    Dim lRowCnt, lColCnt, lValue As Long, CGFF_FldCnt As Integer
    Dim OPwrPnt As Object, OpwrPresent As Object
    Dim CGFF_DB As Database, CGFF_TD As TableDef, CGFF_Rs As Recordset
    Dim CGFF_field As Field, CGFF_PwrPntloaded As Boolean
    Dim lheight, lwidth, LLeft, lTop As Single

    ' See if the CGFF Table already exists.
    If IsTableQuery("", CGFF_Tablename) Then
    Set CGFF_DB = CurrentDb
    Set CGFF_Rs = CGFF_DB.OpenRecordset(CGFF_Tablename, dbOpenSnapshot)
    On Error GoTo ERR_CGFF

    ' Set up the object references.
    On Error GoTo Err_CGFFOle
    CGFF_PwrPntloaded = False
    Set OPwrPnt = CreateObject("Powerpoint.application")

    ' Activate PowerPoint. If you do not want to see PowerPoint, remark the
    ' next line out.
    OPwrPnt.Activate
    CGFF_PwrPntloaded = True

    ' Use this line to Open a default saved presentation
    ' Set OpwrPresent = OPwrPnt.Presentations.Open(DefFileName).Slides(1)

       If CGFF_SavedPPT = "" Then

    ' Use these lines to create a new Graph object on the slide.
    Set OpwrPresent = OPwrPnt.Presentations.Add.Slides.Add(1, 12)
       lheight = OPwrPnt.ActivePresentation.PageSetup.SlideHeight / 2
       lwidth = OPwrPnt.ActivePresentation.PageSetup.SlideWidth / 2
       LLeft = OPwrPnt.ActivePresentation.PageSetup.SlideHeight / 4
       lTop = OPwrPnt.ActivePresentation.PageSetup.SlideHeight / 4
    Set shpGraph = OpwrPresent.Shapes.AddOLEObject(Left:=LLeft, _
       Top:=lTop, Width:=lwidth, Height:=lheight, _
       ClassName:="MSGraph.Chart", Link:=0).OLEFormat.Object
    FndGraph = True
       Else

    ' Use these lines if you already have a saved chart on a PowerPoint
    ' slide.
    Set OpwrPresent = OPwrPnt.Presentations.Open(CGFF_SavedPPT).Slides(1)
    FndGraph = False
       For Shpcnt = 1 To OpwrPresent.Shapes.Count

    ' Check if shape is an OLE object.
        If OpwrPresent.Shapes(Shpcnt).Type = 7 Then

    ' Check if OLE object is graph 8 object. The ProgID is
    ' case sensitive.
       If OpwrPresent.Shapes(Shpcnt).OLEFormat.ProgID = "MSGraph.Chart.8" _
         Then
       Set shpGraph = OpwrPresent.Shapes(Shpcnt).OLEFormat.Object

    ' Found the graph.
    FndGraph = True
        End If
        End If
           Next Shpcnt

    ' If a graph was found.
        End If
    On Error GoTo ERR_CGFF
        If FndGraph Then

    ' Set the reference to the datasheet collection.
    Set oDataSheet = shpGraph.Application.DataSheet

    ' Clear the datasheet.
    oDataSheet.Cells.Clear

    ' These are the lines to set up you row headings You can make this
    ' anything you want.
    CGFF_FldCnt = 1

    ' Loop through the fields collection and get the field names.
    For Each CGFF_field In CGFF_Rs.Fields
       oDataSheet.Cells(CGFF_FldCnt, 1).Value = _
       CGFF_Rs.Fields(CGFF_FldCnt - 1).Name
       CGFF_FldCnt = CGFF_FldCnt + 1
            Next CGFF_field
       lRowCnt = 1

    ' Loop through the recordset.
    Do While Not CGFF_Rs.EOF
    CGFF_FldCnt = 1

    ' Put the values for the fields in the datasheet.
    For Each CGFF_field In CGFF_Rs.Fields
       oDataSheet.Cells(CGFF_FldCnt, lRowCnt + 1).Value = _
       CGFF_Rs.Fields(CGFF_FldCnt - 1).Value
       CGFF_FldCnt = CGFF_FldCnt + 1
           Next CGFF_field
    lRowCnt = lRowCnt + 1
    CGFF_Rs.MoveNext
    Loop

    ' Update the graph.
    shpGraph.Application.Update
    DoEvents
    CGFF_Rs.Close
    CGFF_DB.Close

    ' Release the references and save the slide.
    OPwrPnt.ActivePresentation.SaveAs (CGFF_PPTFileName)
    DoEvents
    OPwrPnt.Quit
    CreateGraphFromFile = True
    GoTo Exit_CGFF
        Else   ' No graphs were found display an error.
    MsgBox "No graph objects were found on the Activepresentation", _
    vbOKOnly, "No Graphs!!!"
    OPwrPnt.Quit
    CreateGraphFromFile = False
    GoTo Exit_CGFF
        End If
        Else

    ' No table was found.
    MsgBox "There is not a recordset named " & CGFF_Tablename & _
    "In this database", vbOKOnly, "No Table!!!"
    CreateGraphFromFile = False
    Exit Function
        End If

    Err_CGFFOle:
    ' OLE error section when trying to communicate with PowerPoint.
    MsgBox "There was a problem Communicating with PowerPoint", vbOKOnly, _
    "No data file!!!"
    MsgBox Err & " " & Err.Description, vbOKOnly, "Data file problem!!!"
    CreateGraphFromFile = False
        If CGFF_PwrPntloaded Then
    OPwrPnt.Quit
        End If
    GoTo Exit_CGFF

    ERR_CGFF:
      ' General error section.
      MsgBox Err & " " & Err.Description, vbOKOnly, _
      "An Error has occurred with this application"
      CreateGraphFromFile = False

    Exit_CGFF:
      Set oDataSheet = Nothing
      Set OPwrPnt = Nothing
      Set OpwrPresent = Nothing
      Set shpGraph = Nothing

    End Function

    '********************************************************
    ' FUNCTION: IsTableQuery()
    '
    ' PURPOSE: Determine if a table or query exists.
    '
    ' ARGUMENTS:
    '   DbName: The name of the database. If the database name
    '           is "" the current database is used.
    '    TName: The name of a table or query.
    '
    ' RETURNS: True (it exists) or False (it does not exist).
    '
    '********************************************************

    Function IsTableQuery(DbName As String, TName As String) As Integer
    Dim Db As Database, Found As Integer, Test As String

    Const NAME_NOT_IN_COLLECTION = 3265

    ' Assume the table or query does not exist.
    Found = False

    ' Trap for any errors.
    On Error Resume Next

    ' If the database name is empty...
        If Trim$(DbName) = "" Then

    '...then set Db to the current Db.
    Set Db = CurrentDb()
        Else
    'Otherwise, set Db to the specified open database.
    Set Db = DBEngine.Workspaces(0).OpenDatabase(DbName)

    'See if an error occurred.
        If Err Then
    MsgBox "Could not find database to open: " & DbName
    IsTableQuery = False
    Exit Function

        End If
        End If

    ' See if the name is in the Tables collection.
    Test = Db.TableDefs(TName).Name
        If Err <> NAME_NOT_IN_COLLECTION Then Found = True

    ' Reset the error variable.
    Err = 0

    ' See if the name is in the Queries collection.
    Test = Db.QueryDefs(TName$).Name
        If Err <> NAME_NOT_IN_COLLECTION Then Found = True
    Db.Close
    IsTableQuery = Found
    End Function 

4. To test this function, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

   
   ?CreateGraphFromFile("C:\MyPPT.ppt", "Category Sales for 1995","") 

   Note that a Microsoft PowerPoint 97 Presentation file, called MyPPT.ppt, is created with a Bar chart. The CategoryName field is the column value heading and the CategorySales field contains the data for the chart.

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Q162307 Microsoft PowerPoint 97 Programming, Automation

Q113549 ACC: How to Determine If a Table or Query Exists

Additional query words: kbmacro vba OLE 8.0

Keywords          : kbinterop AutoGrph PgmHowto 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: July 6, 1999