I'm looking to create a web tool where one can upload a Powerpoint file, which would then be processed by a script.
At this point I'm only looking for basic pointers, recommendations.
Besides installing somehow a PowerPoint on the webserver, or using scripts to take the pptx file to pieces and run scripts on the xml files, is there a relatively easy way to run a macro on a PowerPoint file - server side? Something like a VBA macro or an addin created in C#, just this time, it should run on a web server.
Can you point me in a direction? What webserver, what language would you guys use? What programs do I need? (I'm total noob with webserver stuff, but I'm an OK developer.)
Thank you!
Microsoft does not currently recommend, and does not support, Automation of Microsoft Office applications from any unattended, non-interactive client application or component (including ASP, ASP.NET, DCOM, and NT Services), because Office may exhibit unstable behavior and/or deadlock when Office is run in this environment.
If you are building a solution that runs in a server-side context, you should try to use components that have been made safe for unattended execution. Or, you should try to find alternatives that allow at least part of the code to run client-side. If you use an Office application from a server-side solution, the application will lack many of the necessary capabilities to run successfully. Additionally, you will be taking risks with the stability of your overall solution.
If you deal with open XML documents only, you may consider using the Open XML SDK. See Welcome to the Open XML SDK 2.5 for Office for more information.
Also you may consider using any third-party components designed for the server-side execution.