Definition. Presentation preview renders a presentation for viewing inside your product. OfficeAPI lists 8 documented PowerPoint-family preview extensions covering Office Open XML, legacy PPT, WPS and OpenDocument presentations. A preview provides a local viewing path without introducing a hosted upload step.
Which presentation files belong in the viewer?
The preview list covers 4 modern Office Open XML extensions, 1 legacy Office extension, 2 extensions from WPS and 1 extension from OpenDocument.
| Group | Extensions | What to distinguish |
|---|---|---|
| Office Open XML | PPTX, PPTM, POTX, POTM | Presentations, templates and macro-enabled files |
| Legacy PowerPoint | PPT | Older presentation archives |
| WPS | DPS, DPT | Presentations and templates |
| OpenDocument | ODP | OpenDocument presentations |
A listed extension establishes preview coverage. It does not establish a slideshow playback interface, macro execution or an editor. If your application needs those features, evaluate them independently rather than assuming they follow from rendering support.
What is the user's next action?
A person selecting the correct presentation from a local collection needs a different interface from a person delivering a deck to someone else. For local review, keep the source identity and application navigation clear. For distribution, evaluate a PowerPoint-to-PDF workflow as a separate result.
Templates deserve their own review: distinguish a reusable template from a completed presentation so the user does not mistake one for the other. A filename alone may not express that distinction clearly enough in your interface.
How do you evaluate presentation rendering?
- Compare your users' source extensions with the preview list.
- Choose a library or process integration that fits the application boundary.
- Review representative decks containing dense text, charts, overlapping shapes and unusual slide proportions.
- Check the surrounding UI when the viewer is resized, another file opens or a source is unsupported.
Include decks that depend on animation or embedded media in a separate evaluation group. A document-rendering preview should not silently be described as equivalent to the original interactive slideshow.
When is conversion the better next step?
If the user needs a new file, check the input and output columns in the conversion matrix. If another UI consumes static imagery, compare the PDF and image output choices. Keep viewing, distribution and output selection separate in the product's actions and error messages.
Frequently asked questions
Can I preview a deck without sending it to a service?
OfficeAPI's engine operates offline. Your application determines how files are obtained and stored.
Do macro-enabled extensions mean macros run?
The preview list establishes file-format coverage, not macro execution.
Are templates included?
The preview list includes POTX, POTM and DPT. Decide how your interface distinguishes them from completed presentations.