COM

Public Function GenerateDrillDown(ByVal strFileName As String) As Boolean<br />
  Dim App As Object = Nothing<br />
  Dim pres As Object = Nothing<br />
  Dim slide As Object = Nothing<br />
<br />
  Try<br />
    App = CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application")<br />
    App.Visible = -1 '  For debugging. Comment this out or set to 0 to keep the application from being visible.<br />
<br />
    pres = App.Presentations.Open("C:\DevProjects\Docs\DrillDown.ppt", 0, -1, -1)<br />
    slide = pres.Slides(1) ' There's only one slide in this ppt i'm using as the template.<br />
<br />
    slide.Shapes.Item("Text Box 8").TextFrame.TextRange.Text = DecisionTitle ' These are all string variables<br />
    slide.Shapes.Item("Text Box 13").TextFrame.TextRange.Text = Narrative<br />
    slide.Shapes.Item("Text Box 14").TextFrame.TextRange.Text = Issues<br />
    slide.Shapes.Item("Text Box 19").TextFrame.TextRange.Text = Scope<br />
<br />
    If TopicType = 1 Then<br />
     slide.Shapes.Item("Autoshape 9").TextFrame.TextRange.Text = IDNumber.ToString()<br />
     slide.Shapes.Item("Autoshape 9").Visible = -1<br />
     slide.Shapes.Item("Autoshape 56").Visible = 0<br />
    ElseIf TopicType = 2 Then<br />
      slide.Shapes.Item("Autoshape 56").TextFrame.TextRange.Text = "ST" & IDNumber.ToString()<br />
      slide.Shapes.Item("Autoshape 56").Visible = -1<br />
      slide.Shapes.Item("Autoshape 9").Visible = 0<br />
    End If<br />
<br />
    pres.SaveAs(strFilename, 1, 0)<br />
  Catch ex As Exception<br />
    Return False<br />
   Finally<br />
     ' Most of this is coming from another article I found online to help combat the problem of open references with office automation.<br />
     GC.Collect()<br />
     GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()<br />
     GC.Collect() ' Intentionally repeated<br />
     GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers() <br />
     If Not slide Is Nothing Then<br />
      Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(slide)<br />
      slide = Nothing<br />
     End If<br />
    <br />
    If Not pres Is Nothing Then<br />
      pres.Close()<br />
      Masrhal.FinalReleaseComObject(pres)<br />
      pres = Nothing<br />
    End If<br />
    <br />
    If Not App Is Nothing Then<br />
      App.Quit()  ' This doesn't do anything, no errors but ap stays open<br />
      Marshal.FInalReleaseComObject(App)<br />
      App = Nothing<br />
    End If<br />
  End Try<br />
<br />
  Return True<br />
End Function