# Converting Excel (.xlsx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) files to PDF

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/converting-excel-xlsx-and-powerpoint-pptx-files-to-pdf/71468>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81, scripting\
**Created:** [March 22, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/converting-excel-xlsx-and-powerpoint-pptx-files-to-pdf/71468 "2023-03-22T23:30:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alex\_Fabiano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@Alex\_Fabiano](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Alex_Fabiano)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/converting-excel-xlsx-and-powerpoint-pptx-files-to-pdf/71468/1 "2023-03-22T23:30:52Z")

</div>

After browsing the internet and forums for a while, I have gotten stuck.

I need to be able to convert both PowerPoint files and Excel files to PDFs, preferably using Ignition modules or the Apache POI that is already bundled with Ignition. However, I am open to any suggestions, including those that use third party libraries.  
The format/editability of the final report or pdf doesn't matter (too much) as long as all the information is gotten across (including pictures).

Right now, using the linked post, I am able to generate a report using data stripped from an Excel sheet, but I'm having trouble getting the images.  
As for the PowerPoints, I am completely at a loss.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

> [@Copying a Excel file to a tables Dataset](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/copying-a-excel-file-to-a-tables-dataset/34942):
>
> Is there a easy way to copy a Excel File to a tables Dataset?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 1:14am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/converting-excel-xlsx-and-powerpoint-pptx-files-to-pdf/71468/2 "2023-03-23T01:14:12Z")

</div>

Have you considered using LibreOffice's command line `--convert-to pdf` operation (as an external executable)? If you need to actually modify the files before conversion, use the Apache POI library first.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alex\_Fabiano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@Alex\_Fabiano](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Alex_Fabiano)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/converting-excel-xlsx-and-powerpoint-pptx-files-to-pdf/71468/3 "2023-03-23T18:01:03Z")

</div>

Thank you, that's a good suggestion.  
It's true that LibreOffice does exactly what we need.  
We were actually trying to see if there was a replacement for LibreOffice, but we've come up empty for one.  
We may just end up keeping LibreOffice for now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/converting-excel-xlsx-and-powerpoint-pptx-files-to-pdf/71468/4 "2023-03-23T18:18:33Z")

</div>

Pandoc?