How to Create Presentations in Java

Aspose.Slides FOSS for Java lets you create PowerPoint presentations entirely in Java with no dependency on Microsoft Office. This guide shows how to create a new presentation, add slides and shapes, format text, and save the result.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Add the Maven Dependency

Add Aspose.Slides FOSS to your pom.xml. Java 11 or later is required.

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.aspose.slides.foss</groupId>
  <artifactId>aspose-slides-foss</artifactId>
  <version>1.0.0</version>
</dependency>

Verify the installation:

import org.aspose.slides.foss.Presentation;

Presentation prs = new Presentation();
prs.dispose();
System.out.println("Aspose.Slides FOSS ready");

Step 2: Import the Required Classes

Import the Presentation class and the SaveFormat enum needed for saving.

import org.aspose.slides.foss.Presentation;
import org.aspose.slides.foss.SaveFormat;
import org.aspose.slides.foss.ShapeType;
import org.aspose.slides.foss.ISlide;
import org.aspose.slides.foss.IAutoShape;

All shape-type constants live in org.aspose.slides.foss.ShapeType. Formatting enums (FillType, NullableBool) are also in org.aspose.slides.foss.

Step 3: Create a Presentation

Use new Presentation() and wrap it in try-with-resources. A new presentation starts with one blank slide.

import org.aspose.slides.foss.Presentation;
import org.aspose.slides.foss.SaveFormat;

try (Presentation prs = new Presentation()) {
    System.out.println("Slides in new presentation: " + prs.getSlides().size());
    prs.save("output.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX);
}

Important: Always use try-with-resources or call prs.dispose() in a finally block. Resources will not be released correctly otherwise.

Step 4: Access a Slide

The first slide is at index 0. A blank presentation has exactly one slide.

try (Presentation prs = new Presentation()) {
    ISlide slide = prs.getSlides().get(0);  // zero-based index
    System.out.println("Slide at index 0: " + slide);
    prs.save("output.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX);
}

Step 5: Add a Shape

Use slide.getShapes().addAutoShape() to add an AutoShape. The parameters are (shapeType, x, y, width, height) all in points (1 point = 1/72 inch; standard slide is 720 x 540 pt).

import org.aspose.slides.foss.*;

try (Presentation prs = new Presentation()) {
    ISlide slide = prs.getSlides().get(0);

    // Rectangle at (50, 50) with 400 wide and 120 tall
    IAutoShape shape = slide.getShapes().addAutoShape(
        ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 50, 50, 400, 120
    );

    // Attach a text frame
    shape.addTextFrame("Hello from Aspose.Slides FOSS!");

    prs.save("with-shape.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX);
}

Step 6: Save the Presentation

Call prs.save(path, SaveFormat.PPTX) before the try block exits. PPTX is the only supported output format.

prs.save("result.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX);

The file is written atomically; if an error occurs before this call, no output file is created.

Complete Working Example

The following program creates a two-slide presentation with a title shape on the first slide and a table on the second.

import org.aspose.slides.foss.*;

public class CreatePresentation {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try (Presentation prs = new Presentation()) {
            // --- Slide 1: title shape ---
            ISlide slide1 = prs.getSlides().get(0);
            IAutoShape title = slide1.getShapes().addAutoShape(
                ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 40, 40, 640, 80
            );
            ITextFrame tf = title.addTextFrame("Q1 Results: Executive Summary");
            IPortionFormat fmt = tf.getParagraphs().get(0)
                .getPortions().get(0).getPortionFormat();
            fmt.setFontHeight(32);
            fmt.setFontBold(NullableBool.TRUE);
            fmt.getFillFormat().setFillType(FillType.SOLID);
            fmt.getFillFormat().getSolidFillColor().setColor(
                Color.fromArgb(255, 0, 70, 127)
            );

            // --- Slide 2: table ---
            prs.getSlides().addEmptySlide(prs.getLayoutSlides().get(0));
            ISlide slide2 = prs.getSlides().get(1);
            ITable table = slide2.getShapes().addTable(
                40, 40,
                new double[]{200.0, 120.0, 120.0},
                new double[]{40.0, 40.0, 40.0}
            );
            String[] headers = {"Region", "Revenue", "Growth"};
            String[][] data = {
                {"North", "$1.2M", "+8%"},
                {"South", "$0.9M", "+4%"},
            };
            for (int col = 0; col < headers.length; col++) {
                table.getRows().get(0).get(col).getTextFrame().setText(headers[col]);
            }
            for (int row = 0; row < data.length; row++) {
                for (int col = 0; col < data[row].length; col++) {
                    table.getRows().get(row + 1).get(col)
                        .getTextFrame().setText(data[row][col]);
                }
            }

            prs.save("q1-results.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX);
        }
        System.out.println("Saved q1-results.pptx");
    }
}

Common Issues and Fixes

IllegalStateException: Presentation already disposed

You are calling methods on a Presentation object after the try-with-resources block has exited. Always keep all work inside the try block.

UnsupportedOperationException when saving

This occurs when attempting a save format other than PPTX, or when using an unsupported feature (such as charts or animations).

Shape appears outside the visible slide area

Slides are 720 x 540 points by default. Keep x + width <= 720 and y + height <= 540.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the default slide size?

A new Presentation() creates slides at the standard 10 x 7.5 inch (720 x 540 point) size. Changing the slide size is not yet supported in this edition.

Can I add more than one slide?

Yes. Call prs.getSlides().addEmptySlide(prs.getLayoutSlides().get(0)) to append a blank slide and access it by index:

prs.getSlides().addEmptySlide(prs.getLayoutSlides().get(0));
ISlide slide2 = prs.getSlides().get(1);

Can I open an existing file and add slides?

Yes:

try (Presentation prs = new Presentation("existing.pptx")) {
    prs.getSlides().addEmptySlide(prs.getLayoutSlides().get(0));
    prs.save("existing.pptx", SaveFormat.PPTX);
}

What formats can I save to?

Only SaveFormat.PPTX is supported. Export to PDF, HTML, SVG, or images is not available in this edition.