Dynamically generate and populate Powerpoint from database values - vba

Here in a product manager capacity.
Our goal is to generate a powerpoint presentation that populates a pre-defined template using specific values in our database (Amazon RDS)
The values will be photos and text data.
Ideal flow would be:
End user generates some data/photo output from other flows in our web application. All data will be in our database.
The user clicks 'Generate Powerpoint'
The application dynamically generates and populates the Powerpoint template with these values.
The end user will be sales people, and with the greatest of respect, not super technical or willing to mess around with configuring.
We have been investigating some node.js solutions to generate PDF of the above, early prototypes are fine....but the beauty of PowerPoint is the sales people will then be able to make any minor edits one the document is generated.
What would be great to confirm with this community:
1) Is the above broadly possible?
2) Any existing components we could buy/license to speed up development?
3) Any technical/non-technical suggestions?
Thanks

Related

How to Create a Button in a PDF to Select and Copy all Text from a Single Field

I need a person to be able to input information into a field in a PDF then later be able to select and copy all information from that field with a single click so they may paste it into another field on a website.
Purpose. I am trying to create a master application which people with disabilities may complete and use as a simple way to fill out other applications. I don't believe I can create an autofill ability which will be useful for the thousands of different methods of job application but I want the human to be able to select the correct field then, in as few clicks as possible, copy information from a field in the PDF and paste it into one they deem as appropriate in another application.
I am an idiot, this is a passion project.
It may be simpler depending on user cases to work inside the browser framework. Here is totally non typical usage for copy data from local personal html into remote form. IT depends heavily on the remote site accepting it can be embedded as if a local frame thus not useful for generic use but may work for controlled caseload's

Automating web page population

I have data in a csv file & want to do the following with it:
Log into web site
Populate field of the page with the csv data
Navigate to next page
Input the rest of data
Click submit
Repeat for next line
I can do this using UiPath but it's an expensive option for a relatively simple use case.
Any one any suggestions on how do this using a different method?
Thanks,
EddieT
If you're looking for alternatives then you probably would want to investigate APIs or Webhooks. But that all depends on the access rights you have for that particular website.
Try messaging the Developers of the website you need as they might have this service already available.
UiPath may appear expensive but if you calculate the amount of time saved for this one process then you will see the money savings too.
If you can find a couple of other processes you want to automate then I'd highly recommend it.

Automating the process of creating doc word

I have a .doc template I use for building CVs for many friends.
I'm trying to automate this process using simple library/program, for exmaple, that can accept data like name, email, phone number, job title, and can create the .doc automatically.
What framework can be used for that to make it fastest i can?
Thanks,
Tal
Where exactly are keeping this template and are your friends plugging in the data or are you doing it all yourself?
No matter what, you're basically looking to do a data merge. An example of a data merge is a mail merge:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/294683/how-to-use-mail-merge-to-create-form-letters-in-word
The same thing really applies to what you're accomplishing to do.
You can take a template, specify the fields that require variable data (aka the different information that's changing), and then just use a spreadsheet to pull the data from and plug it in.
Now the question you'll probably be wondering next is how data merges use spreadsheets. The way data merges work is that each column you set with data in it, that should correspond to the changing lines in your template. I strongly recommend you read up on this further - it's not that difficult to do once you get the hang of it.
The last question is probably how you'll compile the data into this spreadsheet. Are your friends going to fill out an online form perhaps? If so, you'll need an online form of some sort perhaps, so you'll need to use some PHP, have a database to store the information from the form, and then just go to the table and export the information as a .csv file after you see you have enough data populated in your database table to do a data merge.
If you don't have access to MS Office, I'm sure you can accomplish this in OpenOffice.org instead (which is free/open-source).
Hope this helps.
At my job we do data merges all the time - for mail merges, for letters that need to be personally address to individual recipients, and we do this for people who need to print dozens of different business cards for different employees. We take their business card template and just do a data merge from a spreadsheet to save time on needing to set up individual files. P.S. you can also use Adobe inDesign for this, if you know how to use it.

Store All Input Data Acrobat Form

I have an Acrobat form for work that our salesmen use to create proposals for jobs and their corresponding estimates.
The problem I am facing is that the form only stores data for one customer at a time. I am trying to get it to where they can type in a customers name (or job number, etc.) and it pull up all the form data used for that customer when that exact estimate was done (no matter how long ago it was).
How can I get my PDF form to do this (save current and all previous inputs) and not just save the current data in each editable field at a time?
I currently use Omniform and it does all of this; however, we are trying to switch over to Adobe and I am not too familiar with the software and how I can accomplish this!
Thank you in advance!
If you want to do all the processing local (without server roundtrip) you would have to embed all data in the PDF itself. There are several ways to do this but I would recommend using JavaScript. You would declare this at the document level. You would handle the blur event of the customer name (or other key field), find a match among the multiple customers and populate the secondary fields.
Assuming the data sits somewhere in a database, you would have to generate such a PDF or manipulate an existing template programmatically using a library. Not sure if you are looking to a programming solution or a tool.
Here is more info on JavaScript for Acrobat:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.html

Interactive editable spreadsheet in Google Docs

I have created a spreadsheet in google docs. The spreadsheet takes some input, calculates some results, and displays the results numerically but also as a graph.
I would like to publish this spreadsheet, so that anyone can input and get the results and the graphs. I tried the Publish to the Web option (from File Menu), but the spreadsheet becomes static (no calculations possible on new values)
I tried the Share option. However when choose anyone can view the spreadsheet is not interactive. When i choose the anyone can edit option the file is usable, but my concern is that if I publish this on the internet and 2 users want to calculate simultaneously based on different values it will mix things up.
Is there anyway to accomplish what I require without setting up a website or programming in Javascript? I do not need to protect any of the calculation routines, I only require that the spreadsheet starts everytime with the default settings, the edits are not saved and the spreadsheet is interactive.
Seems like you may want to publish your Google Sheet as a template. Doing so will let strangers "deploy" a copy of your spreadsheet, for their own use (and without conflicting with other web users).
Google Docs template gallery
Instructions for submitting a template
Caveat: Until Google adds support for publishing "new" Google Sheets as templates, you'll likely want to submit a spreadsheet in the "old" format.
I might suggest using Protected Ranges.
https://drive.googleblog.com/2012/08/lock-down-cells-with-protected-ranges.html
Basically locked cells and you should be the only one able to manipulate the locked cells to you can freely set the page to be editable.
You can also specify the Range of cells that you wish to use when embedding. (See the publish options).
These two methods should help you with your project.