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Intro

This guide will explain the syntax and naming conventions of PowerPointWriter data markers, as well as data marker modifiers which can change how data is imported.

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Definition

A data marker is a string used as a placeholder for data that will be imported by PowerPointWriter's PowerPointTemplate object. Each data marker corresponds to a column in a data source. The data markers are added to the template in PowerPoint and then populated at run time using PowerPointTemplate.

Syntax

Basic Syntax

Data markers use the following syntax: %%=DataSourceName.ColumnName

  • ColumnName is the name of the column that contains the value(s) to be imported. The column name must match the columns specified in code.

For more information on the types of data sources supported by PowerPointWriter and how to bind data to a template, see Importing a Single Row of Data and Importing Multiple Rows of Data.

Allowed characters

Additionally, the data source name and the column name must follow these rules:

  • Data source and column names must not include Unicode characters
  • Data source and column names must begin with a letter (A-Z, a-z).
  • Data source and column names may include the following characters only:
    \ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890_
  • Spaces are not allowed anywhere in a data marker

Modifiers

Modifiers can effect how data is imported into the template file. Modifiers use the following syntax: %%=DataSourceName.ColumnName(modifier)

List of modifiers

Modifier

Behavior

Additional references

Continue

The continue modifier allows data to be imported onto multiple slides in a presentation. Set DataBindingProperties.MaxRowsPerSlide to limit the number of rows that can be imported on a slide and then use the continue modifier to continue importing the additional rows.

Fitting Data on to Multiple Slides

Image

The image modifier is used to import an image into a presentation. The image modifier has parameters that can control the dimensions and aspect ratio settings of the imported image.

Importing Images

Additional Resources

For more help getting started with PowerPointWriter see our HelloWorld and Basic tutorials.

Data Marker Formulas

The PowerPointTemplate object evaluates a number of different formulas placed in data markers using the format %%=FORMULA_NAME(DataSource.ColumnName). Each of the formulas will perform a specific operation on the values of the referenced data column. Formulas are evaluated for all values of the column in the data source, regardless of how many of the values are actually displayed in the document.

PowerPointWriter supports the following data marker formulas:

AVERAGE

Calculates the average of the column values

COUNT

Returns the number of values (that is, the number of rows in the data source) of the column

COUNTA

Returns the number of non-null values of the column

MAX

Returns the maximum value from the column

MIN

Returns the minimum value from the column

PRODUCT

Calculates the product of the column values

STDEV

Returns the standard deviation of the column values, treating the values as a sample

STDEVP

Returns the standard deviation of the column values, treating the values as a population

SUM

Calculates the sum of the column values

VAR

Returns the variance of the column values, treating the values as a sample

VARP

Returns the variance of the column values, treating the values as a population

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