Installation

Overview

This article explains how to install Aspose.Slides for Node.js via Java on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and how to check that the installation works.

Aspose.Slides for Node.js via Java is distributed as the aspose.slides.via.java package on npm. It runs Aspose.Slides in a Java virtual machine through the java package, a native Node.js addon that npm compiles on your computer during installation. That is why the installation needs, besides Node.js:

  • A Java Development Kit (JDK) 8 or later. A Java runtime alone is not enough: the build needs the JDK’s header files.
  • Python 3, which the build tool node-gyp uses.
  • A C++ build toolchain for your operating system.

Install the Prerequisites

Windows

  1. Install Node.js 20 or later.
  2. Install a JDK, for example Eclipse Temurin, and set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to its installation folder. The build uses the JDK that JAVA_HOME points to.
  3. Install Python 3.
  4. Install Build Tools for Visual Studio 2022 with the Desktop development with C++ workload. Keep the workload’s default components, which include MSVC v143 - VS 2022 C++ x64/x86 build tools and the Windows 11 SDK. Visual Studio 2026 does not work: the node-gyp version that the java package compiles with does not recognize it.

Linux

Install Node.js 20 or later from nodejs.org or your distribution’s package source. Then install a JDK, Python 3, and the C++ build tools. On Debian and Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y default-jdk python3 build-essential

On Linux, the build finds the installed JDK without further configuration. If several JDKs are installed, set JAVA_HOME to the one you want to use.

macOS

Install Node.js 20 or later, a JDK, and the Xcode Command Line Tools, which include Python 3 and the C++ compiler. See Troubleshooting Installation for macOS-specific notes.

Install from npm

Create a project folder and install the package:

mkdir hello-slides
cd hello-slides
npm init -y
npm install aspose.slides.via.java

npm downloads Aspose.Slides and compiles the java bridge, which can take a few minutes. If the compilation fails, see Troubleshooting Installation.

Check the Installation

Create a file named hello.js in the project folder with the following code. It creates a presentation, adds a text box to its first slide, and saves the result as hello.pptx:

const asposeSlides = require("aspose.slides.via.java");

const presentation = new asposeSlides.Presentation();
try {
    const slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0);
    const shape = slide.getShapes().addAutoShape(asposeSlides.ShapeType.Rectangle, 50, 50, 400, 100);
    shape.getTextFrame().setText("Hello, Aspose.Slides!");
    presentation.save("hello.pptx", asposeSlides.SaveFormat.Pptx);
} finally {
    presentation.dispose();
}

// Aspose.Slides runs in a Java virtual machine that keeps Node.js running, so end the process explicitly.
process.exit(0);

Run the script:

node hello.js

If hello.pptx appears in the project folder, the installation works. The Java virtual machine that runs Aspose.Slides keeps Node.js from exiting on its own, which is why the script ends with process.exit(0). Create Presentations explains the code.

Install from a ZIP Archive

The package is also available as a ZIP archive with the same contents as the npm package. To install it from the archive:

  1. Install the prerequisites for your operating system, as described above.

  2. Download the archive from the Aspose.Slides for Node.js via Java download page.

  3. Create a project folder:

    mkdir hello-slides
cd hello-slides
npm init -y

  4. Extract the archive into a subfolder named aspose.slides.via.java inside the project folder, so that the archive’s package.json is at hello-slides/aspose.slides.via.java/package.json.

  5. Install the package from that folder:

    npm install ./aspose.slides.via.java

    npm installs the java bridge that the package depends on and compiles it, as it does for the npm package.

  6. Check the installation as described in Check the Installation.

FAQ

Is there a free version or trial limitation?

Yes. Without a license, Aspose.Slides runs in evaluation mode: it adds an evaluation watermark to every slide it saves and truncates text read from presentations. To remove these limitations, apply a valid license.

Why does my script not exit after it finishes?

The java package starts a Java virtual machine inside the Node.js process, and that virtual machine keeps the process running. Call process.exit when your script has finished its work.

TypeScript Support Troubleshooting Installation of Aspose.Slides for Node.js via Java