Introduction

Aspose.Slides FOSS for C++ is now available: a free, MIT-licensed library for creating, reading, and editing PowerPoint .pptx files in native C++, with no dependency on Microsoft Office or any proprietary runtime.

The library is designed for developers who need to generate or manipulate presentation files programmatically: automating slide decks from data, extracting text and metadata from uploaded PPTX files, building presentation-based reporting pipelines, or embedding presentation creation into desktop and server applications. Because aspose_slides_foss is built with CMake, it compiles and deploys on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Key Features

  • Full round-trip PPTX support: Open any .pptx file, modify its content, and save it back without losing unknown XML parts that the library does not yet understand.
  • Slides management: Add, remove, and iterate slides using prs.slides(); the presentation starts with one blank slide after constructing a Presentation.
  • AutoShapes, Tables, and Connectors: Insert shapes via slide.shapes().add_auto_shape(), tabular data via slide.shapes().add_table(), and visual connectors between shapes via slide.shapes().add_connector().
  • Rich text formatting: Format text at character level with PortionFormat: font size, bold, italic, underline, and ARGB color via FillType::SOLID and ColorFormat.
  • Fill types: Apply FillType::SOLID, FillType::GRADIENT, FillType::PATTERN, or FillType::PICTURE fills to any shape.
  • Visual effects: Outer shadow, glow, soft edge, blur, reflection, and inner shadow via shape.effect_format().
  • 3D formatting: Bevel, camera, light rig, material, and extrusion depth via shape.three_d_format().
  • Speaker notes: Attach notes text to each slide via notes_slide_manager().add_notes_slide().
  • Threaded comments: Add comments with author metadata and slide position.
  • Embedded images: Embed from file path, memory buffer, or stream.
  • Document properties: Read and write core, app, and custom properties.

This section has been reviewed against the current source model for the latest product behavior and API coverage.

Getting Started

Add the library via CMake. A C++20 compiler is required.

include(FetchContent)
FetchContent_Declare(
    aspose_slides_foss
    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/aspose-slides-foss/Aspose.Slides-FOSS-for-Cpp.git
    GIT_TAG main
)
FetchContent_MakeAvailable(aspose_slides_foss)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE aspose_slides_foss)

Create your first presentation with a shape and save it:

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/auto_shape.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/export/save_format.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/shape_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/shape_type.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/slide.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/slide_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/text_frame.h>

int main() {
    using namespace Aspose::Slides::Foss;

    Presentation prs;
    auto& slide = prs.slides()[0];
    auto& shape = slide.shapes().add_auto_shape(
        ShapeType::RECTANGLE, 50, 50, 400, 120
    );
    shape.text_frame()->set_text("Hello from Aspose.Slides FOSS!");
    prs.save("hello.pptx", SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

The Presentation destructor releases all internal resources automatically when it goes out of scope.

Text Formatting Example

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/auto_shape.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/drawing/color.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/export/save_format.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/fill_format.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/fill_type.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/nullable_bool.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/paragraph.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/paragraph_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/portion.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/portion_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/portion_format.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/shape_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/shape_type.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/slide.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/slide_collection.h>
#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/text_frame.h>

using namespace Aspose::Slides::Foss;
using namespace Aspose::Slides::Foss::Drawing;

int main() {
    Presentation prs;
    auto& shape = prs.slides()[0].shapes().add_auto_shape(
        ShapeType::RECTANGLE, 50, 50, 500, 150
    );
    shape.text_frame()->set_text("Bold heading in corporate blue");
    auto& fmt = shape.text_frame()->paragraphs()[0].portions()[0].portion_format();
    fmt.set_font_height(28);
    fmt.set_font_bold(NullableBool::TRUE);
    fmt.fill_format().set_fill_type(FillType::SOLID);
    fmt.fill_format().solid_fill_color().set_color(Color::from_argb(255, 0, 70, 127));
    prs.save("formatted.pptx", SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

Current Limitations

The following areas are not available in this edition:

  • Charts, SmartArt, and OLE objects
  • Animations and slide transitions
  • Export to PDF, HTML, SVG, or image formats
  • Hyperlinks, action settings, VBA macros, and digital signatures

Unknown XML parts encountered during load are preserved verbatim on save, so PPTX files produced by other tools round-trip safely.

See Also