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.

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