Manage Rows and Columns in PowerPoint Tables Using Python

Introduction

To allow you to manage a table’s rows and columns in a PowerPoint presentation, Aspose.Slides provides the Table class and many other types.

Set the First Row as a Header

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation.
  2. Get a reference to a slide by its index.
  3. Create a Table reference and set it to None.
  4. Iterate through all Shape objects to find the relevant table.
  5. Set the table’s first row as its header.

This Python code shows you how to set a table’s first row as its header:

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, Table

presentation = Presentation("table.pptx")
try:
    slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0)
    table = None
    for shape in slide.getShapes():
        if isinstance(shape, Table):
            table = shape
            table.setFirstRow(True)
    presentation.save("presentation.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Clone a Table Row or Column

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation.
  2. Get a reference to a slide by its index.
  3. Define a list of column widths.
  4. Define a list of row heights.
  5. Add a Table object to the slide through the addTable method.
  6. Clone the table row.
  7. Clone the table column.
  8. Save the modified presentation.

This Python code shows you how to clone a PowerPoint table’s row or column:

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat

presentation = Presentation("Test.pptx")
try:
    slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0)
    column_widths = [50, 50, 50]
    row_heights = [50, 30, 30, 30, 30]
    table = slide.getShapes().addTable(100, 50, column_widths, row_heights)
    table.get_Item(0, 0).getTextFrame().setText("Row 1 Cell 1")
    table.get_Item(1, 0).getTextFrame().setText("Row 1 Cell 2")
    table.getRows().addClone(table.getRows().get_Item(0), False)
    table.get_Item(0, 1).getTextFrame().setText("Row 2 Cell 1")
    table.get_Item(1, 1).getTextFrame().setText("Row 2 Cell 2")
    table.getRows().insertClone(3, table.getRows().get_Item(1), False)
    table.getColumns().addClone(table.getColumns().get_Item(0), False)
    table.getColumns().insertClone(3, table.getColumns().get_Item(1), False)
    presentation.save("table_out.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Remove a Row or Column from a Table

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class.
  2. Get a reference to a slide by its index.
  3. Define a list of column widths.
  4. Define a list of row heights.
  5. Add a Table object to the slide through the addTable method.
  6. Remove the table row.
  7. Remove the table column.
  8. Save the modified presentation.

This Python code shows you how to remove a row or column from a table:

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat

presentation = Presentation()
try:
    slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0)
    column_widths = [100, 50, 30]
    row_heights = [30, 50, 30]
    table = slide.getShapes().addTable(100, 100, column_widths, row_heights)
    table.getRows().removeAt(1, False)
    table.getColumns().removeAt(1, False)
    presentation.save("TestTable_out.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Set Text Formatting on the Table Row Level

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation.
  2. Get a reference to a slide by its index.
  3. Access the relevant Table object from the slide.
  4. Set the font height of the first-row cells using setFontHeight.
  5. Set the text alignment and right margin of the first-row cells using setAlignment and setMarginRight.
  6. Set the vertical text type of the second-row cells using setTextVerticalType.
  7. Save the modified presentation.

This Python code demonstrates the operation.

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, Table, PortionFormat, ParagraphFormat, TextFrameFormat, TextAlignment, TextVerticalType

presentation = Presentation("table.pptx")
try:
    shape = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().get_Item(0)
    if isinstance(shape, Table):
        table = shape
        portion_format = PortionFormat()
        portion_format.setFontHeight(25)
        table.getRows().get_Item(0).setTextFormat(portion_format)
        paragraph_format = ParagraphFormat()
        paragraph_format.setAlignment(TextAlignment.Right)
        paragraph_format.setMarginRight(20)
        table.getRows().get_Item(0).setTextFormat(paragraph_format)
        text_frame_format = TextFrameFormat()
        text_frame_format.setTextVerticalType(TextVerticalType.Vertical)
        table.getRows().get_Item(1).setTextFormat(text_frame_format)
        presentation.save("result.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
    else:
        print("The first shape is not a table.")
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Set Text Formatting on the Table Column Level

  1. Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation.
  2. Get a reference to a slide by its index.
  3. Access the relevant Table object from the slide.
  4. Set the font height of the first-column cells using setFontHeight.
  5. Set the text alignment and right margin of the first-column cells using setAlignment and setMarginRight.
  6. Set the vertical text type of the second-column cells using setTextVerticalType.
  7. Save the modified presentation.

This Python code demonstrates the operation:

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, Table, PortionFormat, ParagraphFormat, TextFrameFormat, TextAlignment, TextVerticalType

presentation = Presentation("table.pptx")
try:
    shape = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().get_Item(0)
    if isinstance(shape, Table):
        table = shape
        portion_format = PortionFormat()
        portion_format.setFontHeight(25)
        table.getColumns().get_Item(0).setTextFormat(portion_format)
        paragraph_format = ParagraphFormat()
        paragraph_format.setAlignment(TextAlignment.Right)
        paragraph_format.setMarginRight(20)
        table.getColumns().get_Item(0).setTextFormat(paragraph_format)
        text_frame_format = TextFrameFormat()
        text_frame_format.setTextVerticalType(TextVerticalType.Vertical)
        table.getColumns().get_Item(1).setTextFormat(text_frame_format)
        presentation.save("result.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
    else:
        print("The first shape is not a table.")
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Get Table Style Properties

Aspose.Slides allows you to retrieve the style properties for a table so that you can use those details for another table or somewhere else. This Python code shows you how to get the style properties from a table preset style:

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, TableStylePreset

presentation = Presentation()
try:
    column_widths = [100, 150]
    row_heights = [5, 5, 5]
    table = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes().addTable(10, 10, column_widths, row_heights)
    table.setStylePreset(TableStylePreset.DarkStyle1)
    style_preset = table.getStylePreset()
    print(style_preset)
    presentation.save("table.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

FAQ

Can I apply PowerPoint themes/styles to a table that’s already created?

Yes. The table inherits the slide/layout/master theme, and you can still override fills, borders, and text colors on top of that theme.

Can I sort table rows like in Excel?

No, Aspose.Slides tables don’t have built-in sorting or filters. Sort your data in memory first, then repopulate the table rows in that order.

Can I have banded (striped) columns while keeping custom colors on specific cells?

Yes. Turn on banded columns, then override specific cells with local formatting; cell-level formatting takes precedence over the table style.

Manage Presentation Tables in Python Manage Table Cells in Presentations Using Python