MS Powerpoint Addin : Insert Slide from Base 64 Powerpoint addin API does not carry over the original formatting of the slide #2780

[vasuki-devi]

Provide required information needed to triage your issue

Your Environment

• Platform [PC desktop, Mac, iOS, Office on the web]: PC Desktop
• Host [Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.]: Powerpoint
• Office version number: Microsoft® PowerPoint® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2207 Build 16.0.15427.20182) 64-bit
• Operating System: Windows 10 home
• Browser (if using Office on the web): Chrome

Expected behavior

In my application, I'm using the 'Insert Slide from Base 64' function in Powerpoint API.
The slide inserted should use the same original formatting from the PPTX file (from which the base64 string is created)

PowerPoint.run(function (context) { return context.sync.then(function(){ context.presentation.insertSlidesFromBase64(base64String),{ formatting: 'KeepSourceFormatting' }; return context.sync() }) });

Current behavior

The content formatting which is present in the original PPTX file is not carried over when using the PowerPoint API.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open Powerpoint - -Create new Presentation -Go to script lab - click on run
2. Insert file that I've attached in this post
3. click on 'Insert all Slides'
4. Now open the file that I've attached in another window, you can see that the slides that were inserted using script lab and the original PPTX file. The formatting will be different.

Provide additional details

Context

I have an application, which stores a list of PPTX files in cloud, the user can select the file using the addin and insert all the slides from the PPTX file.

Useful logs

Lookup_addin_issue_file.pptx

Thank you for taking the time to report an issue. Our triage team will respond to you in less than 72 hours. Normally, response time is <10 hours Monday through Friday. We do not triage on weekends.

[ElizabethSamuel-MSFT]

vasuki-devi Thanks for letting us know. Tagging esterB (@EsterBergen) to take a look.

Thanks.

[EsterBergen]

Hi vasuki-devi - Thanks for submitting this. Can you confirm that the conversion to Base64 working on your end?

When I use the preview APIS to export to base 64 and then use insertSlidesFromBase64(), it works fine and formatting/shapes are the same.

Can you try using this api to convert the slide to be inserted to base 64 and then insert that?
Here are more details: PowerPoint.Slide class - Office Add-ins | Microsoft Learn

[vasuki-devi]

We are using the Java.Util.Base64 encoder for converting pptx files to base64 format and is working fine from our end.

Still we are facing the formatting/shapes issues for the entire file of more than 10 files too.
Uploading Billing_model_comparison_single.pptx…

[vasuki-devi]

esterB (@EsterBergen) Any update on this issue? We have a lot of customers using this feature, so any kind of information on this issue would be highly helpful. Thanks.

[EsterBergen]

vasuki-devi -- when i use the new preview api to exportAsBase64(), I don't have the same issue of different formats when inserting it into the presentation.

Have you tried that preview API for the export?

Here are more details: PowerPoint.Slide class - Office Add-ins | Microsoft Learn