How to Work with Tables in C++

This guide shows how to create tables on PowerPoint slides using Aspose.Slides FOSS for C++. Call slide.shapes().add_table(x, y, col_widths, row_heights) to add a table, access cells via table.rows()[row][col], and apply text formatting through portion_format() on each cell’s text frame portions.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Build and Link the Library

Clone the repository and build with CMake to produce the static library to link against:

git clone https://github.com/aspose-slides-foss/Aspose.Slides-FOSS-for-Cpp.git
cd Aspose.Slides-FOSS-for-Cpp && mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. && cmake --build .

Step 2: Create or Open a Presentation

Construct a Presentation object, access the first slide via prs.slides()[0], then call prs.save() when done:

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>

int main() {
    namespace asf = Aspose::Slides::Foss;

    asf::Presentation prs;
    auto& slide = prs.slides()[0];
    // ... add table ...
    prs.save("table.pptx", asf::SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

Step 3: Define Column Widths and Row Heights

Tables require explicit column widths and row heights in points (1 point = 1/72 inch). A standard slide is 720 points wide and 540 points tall.

std::vector<double> col_widths = {200.0, 150.0, 150.0};  // 3 columns
std::vector<double> row_heights = {45.0, 40.0, 40.0};    // 3 rows

Step 4: Add the Table

slide.shapes().add_table(x, y, col_widths, row_heights) creates the table at position (x, y):

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>
#include <vector>

int main() {
    namespace asf = Aspose::Slides::Foss;

    asf::Presentation prs;
    auto& slide = prs.slides()[0];

    std::vector<double> col_widths = {200.0, 150.0, 150.0};
    std::vector<double> row_heights = {45.0, 40.0, 40.0};
    auto& table = slide.shapes().add_table(50, 100, col_widths, row_heights);

    prs.save("table.pptx", asf::SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

Step 5: Set Cell Text

Access each cell via table.rows()[row_index][col_index] and assign text through the .text_frame()->set_text() method. Row and column indices are zero-based, so the header row is index 0 and data rows start at index 1:

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>
#include <vector>
#include <string>

int main() {
    namespace asf = Aspose::Slides::Foss;

    asf::Presentation prs;
    auto& slide = prs.slides()[0];

    std::vector<double> col_widths = {200.0, 150.0, 150.0};
    std::vector<double> row_heights = {45.0, 40.0, 40.0};
    auto& table = slide.shapes().add_table(50, 100, col_widths, row_heights);

    // Header row (row 0)
    std::vector<std::string> headers = {"Product", "Units Sold", "Revenue"};
    for (size_t col = 0; col < headers.size(); ++col) {
        table.rows()[0][col].text_frame()->set_text(headers[col]);
    }

    // Data rows
    std::vector<std::vector<std::string>> data = {
        {"Widget A", "1,200", "$24,000"},
        {"Widget B", "850",   "$17,000"},
    };
    for (size_t r = 0; r < data.size(); ++r) {
        for (size_t c = 0; c < data[r].size(); ++c) {
            table.rows()[r + 1][c].text_frame()->set_text(data[r][c]);
        }
    }

    prs.save("sales-table.pptx", asf::SaveFormat::PPTX);
    return 0;
}

Step 6: Format Header Cell Text

Apply bold font formatting to header cells by accessing portions()[0].portion_format() and calling set_font_bold(NullableBool::TRUE):

for (size_t col = 0; col < headers.size(); ++col) {
    auto& cell = table.rows()[0][col];
    auto& portions = cell.text_frame()->paragraphs()[0].portions();
    if (portions.size() > 0) {
        auto& fmt = portions[0].portion_format();
        fmt.set_font_bold(asf::NullableBool::TRUE);
        fmt.fill_format().set_fill_type(asf::FillType::SOLID);
        fmt.fill_format().solid_fill_color().set_color(
            asf::Drawing::Color::from_argb(255, 255, 255, 255));
    }
}

Complete Working Example

The following self-contained example creates a regional revenue table with a bold header row and four data rows, then saves the result as a PPTX file:

#include <Aspose/Slides/Foss/presentation.h>
#include <vector>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    namespace asf = Aspose::Slides::Foss;

    std::vector<std::vector<std::string>> data_rows = {
        {"North", "$1.2M", "+8%"},
        {"South", "$0.9M", "+4%"},
        {"East",  "$1.5M", "+12%"},
        {"West",  "$0.7M", "+2%"},
    };
    std::vector<std::string> headers = {"Region", "Revenue", "Growth"};

    asf::Presentation prs;
    auto& slide = prs.slides()[0];

    std::vector<double> col_widths = {180.0, 140.0, 120.0};
    std::vector<double> row_heights(1 + data_rows.size(), 38.0);
    row_heights[0] = 45.0;

    auto& table = slide.shapes().add_table(60, 80, col_widths, row_heights);

    // Header row
    for (size_t col = 0; col < headers.size(); ++col) {
        auto& cell = table.rows()[0][col];
        cell.text_frame()->set_text(headers[col]);
        auto& portions = cell.text_frame()->paragraphs()[0].portions();
        if (portions.size() > 0) {
            portions[0].portion_format().set_font_bold(asf::NullableBool::TRUE);
        }
    }

    // Data rows
    for (size_t r = 0; r < data_rows.size(); ++r) {
        for (size_t c = 0; c < data_rows[r].size(); ++c) {
            table.rows()[r + 1][c].text_frame()->set_text(data_rows[r][c]);
        }
    }

    prs.save("regional-revenue.pptx", asf::SaveFormat::PPTX);
    std::cout << "Saved regional-revenue.pptx\n";
    return 0;
}

Common Issues and Fixes

std::out_of_range when accessing table.rows()[row][col]

Row and column indices are zero-based. If you defined row_heights with 3 elements, valid row indices are 0, 1, 2.

Cell text does not appear in the saved file

Always assign through .text_frame()->set_text(), not through .set_text() directly on the cell object.

Table position is off the slide

Check that x + sum(col_widths) <= 720 and y + sum(row_heights) <= 540 for a standard slide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I merge table cells?

Cell merging is not supported in this edition.

Can I apply a table-wide background color?

Apply fill formatting to each individual cell:

for (size_t r = 0; r < table.rows().size(); ++r) {
    for (size_t c = 0; c < table.rows()[r].size(); ++c) {
        auto& cell = table.rows()[r][c];
        cell.fill_format().set_fill_type(asf::FillType::SOLID);
        cell.fill_format().solid_fill_color().set_color(
            asf::Drawing::Color::from_argb(255, 240, 248, 255));
    }
}

Can I set cell border styles?

Cell border properties are accessible through the cell format border methods. Refer to the API reference for the full list of border format attributes.