Manage Presentation Placeholders in PHP

Change Text in a Placeholder

Using Aspose.Slides for PHP via Java, you can find and modify placeholders on slides in presentations. Aspose.Slides allows you to make changes to the text in a placeholder.

Prerequisite: You need a presentation that contains a placeholder. You can create such a presentation in the standard Microsoft PowerPoint app.

This is how you use Aspose.Slides to replace the text in the placeholder in that presentation:

1. Instantiate the Presentation class. and pass the presentation as an argument.
2. Get a slide reference through its index.
3. Iterate through the shapes to find the placeholder.
4. Typecast the placeholder shape to an AutoShape and change the text using the TextFrame associated with the AutoShape.
5. Save the modified presentation.

This PHP code shows how to change the text in a placeholder:

  # Instantiates a Presentation class
  $pres = new Presentation("ReplacingText.pptx");
  try {
    # Accesses the first slide
    $sld = $pres->getSlides()->get_Item(0);
    # Iterates through shapes to find the placeholder
    foreach($sld->getShapes() as $shp) {
      if (!java_is_null($shp->getPlaceholder())) {
        # Changes the text in each placeholder
        $shp->getTextFrame()->setText("This is Placeholder");
      }
    }
    # Saves the presentation to disk
    $pres->save("output.pptx", SaveFormat::Pptx);
  } finally {
    if (!java_is_null($pres)) {
      $pres->dispose();
    }
  }

Set Prompt Text in a Placeholder

Standard and pre-built layouts contain placeholder prompt texts such as Click to add a title or Click to add a subtitle. Using Aspose.Slides, you can insert your preferred prompt texts into placeholder layouts.

This PHP code shows you how to set the prompt text in a placeholder:

  $pres = new Presentation("Presentation.pptx");
  try {
    $slide = $pres->getSlides()->get_Item(0);
    # Iterates through the slide
    foreach($slide->getSlide()->getShapes() as $shape) {
      if (java_instanceof($shape->getPlaceholder()) != null && $shape, new JavaClass("com.aspose.slides.AutoShape")) {
        $text = "";
        # PowerPoint displays "Click to add title"
        if ($shape->getPlaceholder()->getType() == PlaceholderType::CenteredTitle) {
          $text = "Add Title";
        } else // Adds subtitle
        if ($shape->getPlaceholder()->getType() == PlaceholderType::Subtitle) {
          $text = "Add Subtitle";
        }
        $shape->getTextFrame()->setText($text);
        echo("Placeholder with text: " . $text);
      }
    }
    $pres->save("Placeholders_PromptText.pptx", SaveFormat::Pptx);
  } finally {
    if (!java_is_null($pres)) {
      $pres->dispose();
    }
  }

Set Placeholder Image Transparency

Aspose.Slides allows you to set the transparency of the background image in a text placeholder. By adjusting the transparency of the picture in such a frame, you can make the text or the image stand out (depending on the text’s and picture’s colors).

This PHP code shows you how to set the transparency for a picture background (inside a shape):

  $presentation = new Presentation("example.pptx");
  $shape = $presentation->getSlides()->get_Item(0)->getShapes()->get_Item(0);
  $operationCollection = $shape->getFillFormat()->getPictureFillFormat()->getPicture()->getImageTransform();
  for($i = 0; $i < java_values($operationCollection->size()) ; $i++) {
    if (java_instanceof($operationCollection->get_Item($i)), new JavaClass("com.aspose.slides.AlphaModulateFixed")) {
      $alphaModulate = $operationCollection->get_Item($i);
      $currentValue = 100 - $alphaModulate->getAmount();
      echo("Current transparency value: " . $currentValue);
      $alphaValue = 40;
      $alphaModulate->setAmount(100 - $alphaValue);
    }
  }
  $presentation->save("example_out.pptx", SaveFormat::Pptx);

FAQ

What is a base placeholder, and how is it different from a local shape on a slide?

A base placeholder is the original shape on a layout or master that the slide’s shape inherits from—type, position, and some formatting come from it. A local shape is independent; if there’s no base placeholder, inheritance doesn’t apply.

How can I update all titles or captions across a presentation without iterating over every slide?

Edit the corresponding placeholder on the layout or the master. Slides based on those layouts/that master will automatically inherit the change.

How do I control the standard header/footer placeholders—date & time, slide number, and footer text?

Use the HeaderFooter managers at the appropriate scope (normal slides, layouts, master, notes/handouts) to turn those placeholders on or off and to set their content.