This document provides a high-level overview of PowerPoint basics and file formats:
1. Slides are the primary structural unit of a PowerPoint presentation and can have various properties like backgrounds, shapes, and controls.
2. Shapes are the fundamental building blocks that make up the content on slides - all objects eventually become shapes.
3. Presentations, templates, shows, and other file types all use the same underlying PowerPoint file format but serve different functions for editing.
4. Comparisons of Slide “Flavors”
Common
Data
Transitio
n
Timing Headers
&
Footers
Matching
Name
Layout
Type
Preserve Layout
List
Text
Style
Slide
X X X
Slide
Layout X X X X X X X
Slide
Master X X X X X X X
Handout
Master X X
Notes
Master X X
Notes
Slide X
6. Anatomy of a Slide Layout
Placeholder Formatting
2
1
Body Placeholder
Body Placeholder
Click to add sales summary
Background Object
Headers and Footers
(date, footer, slide #)
Title Placeholder
Subtitle Placeholder (TBD)
Background Fill
7. Structural Rule 2
• Shapes are primary structural unit for
slides
– All objects on slides “eventually” are a shape
12. Rich Property Inheritance
Style Information
Slide Master
Layout
Instantiated Slide
Body Shape
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Placeholder
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Style Information
Slide Master
Layout
Instantiated Slide
Body Placeholder
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Shape
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Placeholder
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Style Information
Slide Master
Layout
Instantiated Slide
Body Placeholder
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Shape
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Placeholder
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Deleting and Re-Adding the Body Placeholder a the Slide Master
This portion of the diagram is a snapshot of the default relationship between body
placeholders on the slide master, layout, and instantiated slide. Placeholders at each
level derive their text and shape style from the level above. Only the instantiated slide
inherits its position from the layout (the layout does not inherit position from the master).
Deleting the body placeholder on the master causes the layout’s body placeholder to
inherit its shape and text style properties directly from the Style Information layer. The
size and position of the body placeholder on the layout remains unchanged. The body
placeholder on the slide continues to inherit its properties from the layout.
When the body placeholder is re-added to the master, it is properly relinked such that it
inherits its style properties from the OSS / defaults and the body placeholders on the
layout inherit from it. Note: this diagram looks identical to the “before” picture on the left.
PowerPoint
Style
Information
Office Art
Style Sheet
PowerPoint
Style
Information
Office Art
Style Sheet
PowerPoint
Style
Information
Office Art
Style Sheet
13. Rich Property Overrides
Body Placeholder
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Placeholder 1
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Shape 1
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Style Information
Slide Master
Standard Layout
Instantiated Slide
Body Placeholder 2
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Body Shape 2
Position Relationship
Shape Style Relationship
Shape Exceptions
Position Exceptions
Text Runs
SE
B1
TE
B2
TE
B3
TE
B4
TE
B5
TE
PE
Formatting the Text in the Body Placeholder 2 on the Layout
1
The user decides to select the body placeholder shape and formats the text. She
modifies a variety of text properties: font face, bold and font color.
2
Since modifications are made at the layout level, nothing is pushed to the Style
Information layer; rather, it is logged as exceptions for the text run.
2
1
3
A
Assume that there is a font size exception on the body shape 2 object found on the
instantiated slide denoted by the magenta text exception node.
3
Since the slide’s text box shape’s text style refers to the body placeholder 1 on the layout,
changes at the layout are reflected on the slide, except for the font size where there is an
exception at the slide level.
A
PowerPoint
Style
Information
Office Art
Style Sheet
14. File Format Types
• Presentation – classic “PPT”
• Template/Design – classic “POT”
• Show – classic “PPS”
• All utilize the same file format –
differentiation is a function of the editor
15. Disclaimer
This presentation is for informational purposes only, and should
not be relied upon as a substitute or replacement for Microsoft
formal file format documentation, which is available at the
following website: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/cc313118(v=office.12).aspx. Any views or opinions
presented in this material are solely those of the author and do
not necessarily represent those of Microsoft. Microsoft
disclaims all liability for mistakes or inaccuracies in this
presentation.