How can I import a text file into PowerPoint with vba? - vba

Question

I am used to doing this type of thing in Word, but the methods for the same sort of thing in PowerPoint are quite different.
I have a network folder with a list of text files in it. I want to be able to click into a text field on a slide and then click an import button on a custom menu. I then select one of the text files in the dialog and that imports the text into the area I have specified.
I have built the custom menu in PowerPoint 2010, and added a few other macros, but I can't work out the methods to use.
Can anyone give me a start?
Here is the code I am playing with:
Sub GetTextFromLibrary()
Dim lCurrentView As Long
Dim SlideNum As Integer
Dim Name$
Dim OldName$
'Store the default shape name to reset later
OldName$ = ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1).Name
'Now rename the shape to work with it
Name$ = "temp01"
MsgBox "You are on slide: " & _
OldName$, vbInformation
ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1).Name = Name$
' Get the current view type.
lCurrentView = ActiveWindow.ViewType
' Make sure that PowerPoint is in Slide view.
' ActiveWindow.Selection.SlideRange.SlideNumber produces an error if
' you are using any other view.
If lCurrentView = ppViewNormal Then
' Display the slide number.
'MsgBox "You are on slide: " & _
ActiveWindow.Selection.SlideRange.SlideNumber, vbInformation
SlideNum = ActiveWindow.Selection.SlideRange.SlideNumber
MsgBox "You are on slide: " & _
SlideNum, vbInformation
' Dim a variable as a specific object type
Dim oShape As Shape
' Set it to "point" to a specific shape:
Set oShape = ActivePresentation.Slides(SlideNum).Shapes("temp01")
'Declare a variable as a FileDialog object.
Dim fd As FileDialog
'Declare a variable for the directory path.
Dim directory As String
'Set the directory path
directory = "C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Desktop\PitchTemplateLibrary\Quotes"
'Create a FileDialog object as a File Picker dialog box.
Set fd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
'Declare a variable to contain the path
'of each selected item. Even though the path is aString,
'the variable must be a Variant because For Each...Next
'routines only work with Variants and Objects.
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant
'Use a With...End With block to reference the FileDialog object.
With fd
'Change the initial directory\filename
.InitialFileName = directory
'Use the Show method to display the File Picker dialog box and return the user's action.
'The user pressed the button.
If .Show = -1 Then
'Step through each string in the FileDialogSelectedItems collection.
For Each vrtSelectedItem In .SelectedItems
Dim fs As Object
Dim f As Object
Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 3
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set f = fs.OpenTextFile(vrtSelectedItem, 1, 0)
' Put the text into the text box
oShape.TextFrame.TextRange.Text = f 'oShape IS EMPTY, BUT CAN"T SEE WHY.
Next vrtSelectedItem
'The user pressed Cancel.
Else
End If
End With
' Until we release the memory used by oShape
Set oShape = Nothing
ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1).Name = OldName$
Else
' PowerPoint is not in slide view.
MsgBox "You must be in slide view to run this macro.", _
vbInformation
End If
'Set the object variable to Nothing.
Set fd = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

PowerPoint code to set the text of a TextBox, or other Shape, is:
ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes(3).TextFrame.TextRange _
= "Hello there"

Answer 2

I want to be able to click into a text field on a slide and then click an import button on a custom menu. I then select one of the text files in the dialog and that imports the text into the area I have specified.
' CYA
If Not ActiveWindow.Selection.Type = ppSelectionText Then
MsgBox "Select some text first"
Exit Sub
End if
' You might also want to allow for the case where the user has
' selected a rectangle or other shape rather than a text range.
' You could add the text to the shape as well.
With ActiveWindow.Selection.TextRange
.TextFrame.Text = "Text you've read from the chosen file"
End With