Manipulating PowerPoint Files with python-pptx: Installation, Basic Operations, and Advanced Examples

Installation

Install the python-pptx package using pip. Windows users can run pip install python-pptx , macOS users can run pip3 install python-pptx , and a Chinese mirror can be used if needed.

<code>pip install -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple python-pptx</code>

Importing the Module

After installation, import the library with from pptx import Presentation .

PPT Basic Structure

The library represents a presentation as a hierarchy of objects: Presentation (the whole file), Slide (each page), Shape (text boxes, images, etc.), Run (short text fragments), and Paragraph (a collection of runs).

Getting PPT Content

Open a file and iterate over its slides and shapes to read text:

<code>from pptx import Presentation
prs = Presentation("demo.pptx")
for slide in prs.slides:
    for shape in slide.shapes:
        if shape.has_text_frame:
            print(shape.text)
        print("--------------------------")
</code>

To access paragraphs within a shape:

<code>for paragraph in shape.text_frame.paragraphs:
    print(paragraph.text)
    print('----------paragraph------------')
</code>

Creating and Writing to Slides

Use prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[index]) to add a new slide with a specific layout. The library provides nine built‑in layouts (Title, Title and Content, Section Header, etc.).

Set text directly on a shape or placeholder:

<code>slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1])
title_shape = slide.shapes.title
title_shape.text = "My Python Presentation"
subtitle = slide.shapes.placeholders[1]
subtitle.text = "Subtitle text"
new_par = subtitle.text_frame.add_paragraph()
new_par.text = "Additional paragraph"
new_par.level = 1
</code>

Working with Placeholders

Iterate over slide.placeholders to discover their index, name, and type, then assign text:

<code>for shape in slide.placeholders:
    phf = shape.placeholder_format
    print(f"{phf.idx}--{shape.name}--{phf.type}")
    shape.text = f"{phf.idx}--{shape.name}--{phf.type}"
</code>

Adding Shapes and Text Boxes

On a blank layout you can add a textbox or a shape such as a rounded rectangle:

<code>from pptx.util import Cm, Pt, Inches
from pptx.enum.shapes import MSO_SHAPE
slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[6])
left = top = width = height = Cm(3)
textbox = slide.shapes.add_textbox(left, top, width, height)
textbox.text_frame.text = "Welcome to the Python PPT tutorial"
paragraph = textbox.text_frame.add_paragraph()
paragraph.text = "More detailed description"
paragraph.font.bold = True
paragraph.font.size = Pt(15)
shape = slide.shapes.add_shape(MSO_SHAPE.ROUNDED_RECTANGLE, Inches(1), Inches(1), Inches(2), Inches(1))
</code>

Comprehensive Example – Generating Certificates

The script reads student names and donation counts from an Excel file using openpyxl , opens a PPT template, replaces placeholder text (e.g., "__" for name, "__册" for book count, and a date placeholder), adjusts font sizes, and saves a personalized PPT for each student.

<code>from pptx import Presentation
from openpyxl import load_workbook
from datetime import datetime
wb = load_workbook('students.xlsx')
sheet = wb['Sheet1']
for row in sheet.iter_rows(min_row=2, max_row=8, min_col=1, max_col=2):
    prs = Presentation('template.pptx')
    for slide in prs.slides:
        for shape in slide.shapes:
            if shape.has_text_frame:
                for paragraph in shape.text_frame.paragraphs:
                    if paragraph.text == '__':
                        paragraph.text = row[0].value
                    if paragraph.text == '__册':
                        paragraph.text = f"{row[1].value}册"
                    if paragraph.text == '日期:':
                        paragraph.text = datetime.now().strftime('%Y年%m月%d日')
    prs.save(f"certificate_{row[0].value}.pptx")
</code>

Conclusion

The python-pptx library provides a powerful, pure‑Python way to automate the creation, reading, and modification of PowerPoint files, making it suitable for batch document generation, data‑driven presentations, and custom slide manipulation.