Example 1 — Rectangle with Parameters

Created: 2026-05-27 · Updated: 2026-05-31

← Advanced Snippet Editor

The default starter template creates a centered rectangle with five @param values: width, height, fill color, line thickness, and line color. It demonstrates the fundamental structure of every parameterized shape script.

Result

Code

// @help https://ppptools.happy-pc.ch/help/de/ase-beispiel-rechteck
/* PARAMS */
// @param float Breite       "Width (pt)"          default=200   min=10  max=2000  tooltip="Rectangle width in points"
// @param float Hoehe        "Height (pt)"         default=100   min=10  max=2000  tooltip="Rectangle height in points"
// @param color Fuellfarbe   "Fill color"          default=#4472C4                 tooltip="Fill color of the rectangle"
// @param float Liniendicke  "Line thickness (pt)"  default=1.5   min=0   max=20    tooltip="Border line thickness (0 = no border)"
// @param color Linienfarbe  "Line color"           default=#2E4A7A                 tooltip="Color of the border line"
// @param bool  Zentrieren   "Center on slide"      default=true                    tooltip="Center rectangle horizontally and vertically on the slide"
/* END PARAMS */

// ── Rectangle with parameters ─────────────────────────────────────────
float w = (float)(double)Params["Breite"];
float h = (float)(double)Params["Hoehe"];
var fillColor   = (System.Drawing.Color)Params["Fuellfarbe"];
float lineW     = (float)(double)Params["Liniendicke"];
var lineColor   = (System.Drawing.Color)Params["Linienfarbe"];
bool zentrieren = (bool)Params["Zentrieren"];

float x = zentrieren ? (ppptools.SlideWidth  - w) / 2f : 100f;
float y = zentrieren ? (ppptools.SlideHeight - h) / 2f : 100f;

var oShape = ppptools.AddRect(x, y, w, h);
oShape.Name = "MyRectangle";
oShape.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.ToOle(fillColor);

if (lineW <= 0)
{
    oShape.Line.Visible = (dynamic)0; // msoFalse = no border
}
else
{
    oShape.Line.Visible           = (dynamic)(-1); // msoTrue
    oShape.Line.Weight            = lineW;
    oShape.Line.ForeColor.RGB     = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.ToOle(lineColor);
}

Parameter Dialog

When you run the snippet, this dialog appears with the configured values:

Step-by-Step Explanation

1. @help and @param Definitions

// @help https://ppptools.happy-pc.ch/help/de/ase-beispiel-rechteck
// @param float Breite  "Width (pt)"  default=200  min=10  max=2000

The @param lines are parsed by the Advanced Snippet Editor and automatically generate the parameter dialog before execution. Each definition contains:

• Type: float, color, string, bool, int, enum
• Name: Internal identifier (no spaces) — used as the key in Params["…"]
• Label: Display name shown in the dialog (in quotes)
• default: Default value
• min / max: Allowed value range (for float / int only)
• tooltip: Explanatory text shown on hover in the dialog

2. Reading Parameter Values

float w = (float)(double)Params["Breite"];
var fillColor = (System.Drawing.Color)Params["Fuellfarbe"];

Params is a Dictionary<string, object>. The double cast (float)(double) is required because numeric params are stored internally as double. For color params, Params[…] directly returns a System.Drawing.Color object.

3. Centering on the Slide

float x = (ppptools.SlideWidth  - w) / 2f;
float y = (ppptools.SlideHeight - h) / 2f;

ppptools.SlideWidth / ppptools.SlideHeight return slide dimensions in points (standard 16:9 = 720 × 405 PT). This ensures the rectangle is always centered regardless of slide format or chosen size.

4. Creating the Shape and Setting the Color

var oShape = ppptools.AddRect(x, y, w, h);
oShape.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.ToOle(fillColor);

PowerPoint stores colors as OLE integers (BGR byte order). ColorTranslator.ToOle() correctly converts System.Drawing.Color to this format.

5. Conditionally Showing the Border

if (lineW <= 0)
    oShape.Line.Visible = (dynamic)0;   // msoFalse — no border
else
{
    oShape.Line.Visible       = (dynamic)(-1);  // msoTrue
    oShape.Line.Weight        = lineW;
    oShape.Line.ForeColor.RGB = System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.ToOle(lineColor);
}

The (dynamic) cast is required in Roslyn scripts because Line.Visible is of type MsoTriState — a COM enum that cannot be set directly as true/false in Roslyn. 0 = msoFalse, -1 = msoTrue.

Next: Example 2 — Circle