How do I specify the powerpoint.application version in VBA?

[Johnny C]

I've got some code chucking reports from XL2007 into a powerpoint presentation.

The PC default powerpoint is Powerpoint 97, but there's also powerpoint 2007. I can't change the default to the later one because it's on XP clamped down, I can't access useful things like changing default programs for file-types.

So, when I do

Dim PPApp As PowerPoint.Application

If PPApp Is Nothing Then Set PPApp = New PowerPoint.Application

it opens Powerpoint97.

I know you can specify the version to open, but VBA Help just says you can, it doesn't mention anything useful like how to do that.

How do I specify the PP version?

TIA

 

[JP2112]

I think it's something like this:

CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application.version")

where version is the version number of the application.

For example if you have PP 2000 and 2003 on one computer, this should start the '03 version:

CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application.11")

 

[Johnny C]

Cheers, 2007 is version 12 I believe.

 

[johndoesr]

Hi there,

I have both 2003 and 2007 installed.

Despite the fact I specify the version "12" it keeps launching 2003 PPT version.

Am I issing something?

Can one use the shell commad for other office applications too?

Tks.

 

[Johnny C]

Try:

    If PPApp Is Nothing Then Set PPApp = CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application.12")
    PPApp.Presentations.Add
    PPApp.Visible = True

That worked for me.
Something else to try (if you can) go into Control Panel, Software options and look for 'default programs' and see if PP is on there. You may be able to fix it that way. I can't from here at work as I'm on XP with Control Panel mostly disabled.

 

[johndoesr]

Hi there Johnny C,

Tks for the comment.

I was already using the code you wrote above.

Actually almost the same since I was was not performing the test condition and using the set statement straight ahead.

Anyways, both codes gives the same "wrong" result (i.e, the desired PPT version is not launched).

Funny thing though, I was just playing around those macros at the office (where I have 2003, 2007, and 2010 installed) and, to my surprise, my macro only opens the the most recent version of PPT, exactly the opposite from my home computer, no matter which version I specify in the macro (in addition, it also doesn´t matter from which version from Excel I execute the macro).

Another bit of information is that at home, if I use the following statement
"Application.ActivateMicrosoftApp xlMicrosoftPowerPoint", the version I get is 2007 (and not 2003).

Any further thoughts? Tks.

 

[Johnny C]

it might be that Windows maintains some sort of order in which the versions were installed, or else something in the registry indicates the most recently installed version and the VBA is interpreted by windows to open the most recently installed. In which order did you install them at home?

I'll try the code you've got here at work and see which version it opens.

 

[RoryA]

As far as Excel goes, you cannot control the version launched unless you use Shell - I don't know if PowerPoint works the same.

 

[Johnny C]

How do you use Shell?

 

[RoryA]

Shell "C:\path to version of Excel you want\excel.exe"

for example. However, this will not return a reference to any Excel objects, so you need API calls for that.