I built a CLI tool that turns AI-generated code into PowerPoint files instantly

#ai #cli #javascript #showdev

The Problem
Everyone uses PowerPoint. Nobody enjoys making it.

You spend hours picking fonts, aligning boxes, choosing colors. Or you pay a designer. Or you use a template that looks like everyone else's template.

Then AI came along. And I thought — wait. AI can write code. pptxgenjs can generate .pptx files from code. What if I connect the two?

The Idea
Here is the full flow:

You ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to write a pptxgenjs script
AI writes the code in seconds
You save it as a .js file
You run one terminal command
A real .pptx file appears in your folder

That's it. No PowerPoint open. No dragging boxes. No design skills needed.

What I Built
I packaged this into an open source NPM CLI tool called pptx-builder.

npx pptx-builder my_presentation.js

Anyone with Node.js installed can use it. No other setup. No install step. Just npx and go.

How To Use It

Step 1 — Ask AI
Open any AI tool. Use this exact prompt:

You are a PowerPoint presentation code generator using the pptxgenjs library.
Generate a complete Node.js script using pptxgenjs that creates a professional
PowerPoint presentation about [YOUR TOPIC HERE].
Rules:

Use only 6-digit hex colors (e.g. FF0000). No 8-digit, no transparency.
Do NOT use pptxgen.ShapeType — use plain strings like "rect" instead.
All content inside one single file, no imports except pptxgenjs.
Last line must be: pptx.writeFile({ fileName: "output.pptx" });
Do not wrap in markdown or backticks, return raw JS only. Make it visually beautiful with dark background, colors, and good layout. Include at least 8 slides.

Replace [YOUR TOPIC HERE] with anything. Business pitch. School project. Product launch. Company report.

Step 2 — Save the code
AI returns a JavaScript file. Copy it. Save as presentation.js.

Step 3 — Run

npx pptx-builder presentation.js

First time it downloads the package automatically. Takes about 5 seconds.

Step 4 — Done
output.pptx is in your folder. Open it in PowerPoint or upload to Google Slides.

Why Not Just Use pptxgenjs Directly?
Great question. You can. But:

You need to install pptxgenjs in every project
You need to know how Node modules work
AI often generates code with errors (8-digit colors, ShapeType issues)
There is no standard prompt to give AI

pptx-builder solves all of this:

Zero install for end user
Works from any folder
Includes battle-tested AI prompt that avoids common errors
One command interface

The Rules That Matter
When asking AI to write pptxgenjs code, these rules prevent 90% of errors:
Rule 1 — 6-digit hex colors only
pptxgenjs does not support 8-digit hex (with transparency like FF000066). Always use standard 6-digit hex like FF0000.
Rule 2 — No ShapeType
AI often writes pptxgen.ShapeType.rect which crashes because pptxgen is an instance not a class. Use plain string "rect" instead.
Rule 3 — Single file
Keep everything in one .js file. No splitting into modules.
Rule 4 — writeFile as last line
Put pptx.writeFile() at the very end to ensure the file saves correctly.

Real Example Code
Here is what a working AI-generated file looks like:

const pptxgen = require("pptxgenjs");
const pptx = new pptxgen();

// Slide 1 - Title
let slide1 = pptx.addSlide();
slide1.background = { color: "0F0F1A" };
slide1.addText("Company Overview 2025", {
  x: 1, y: 1.5, w: 8, h: 1.2,
  fontSize: 48, bold: true,
  color: "7C83FD", align: "center"
});
slide1.addText("Presented by Abdullah Khalid Mirza", {
  x: 1, y: 3, w: 8, h: 0.7,
  fontSize: 18, color: "AAAAAA", align: "center"
});

// Slide 2 - Content
let slide2 = pptx.addSlide();
slide2.background = { color: "0D1B2A" };
slide2.addText("Key Points", {
  x: 0.5, y: 0.5, w: 9, h: 1,
  fontSize: 32, bold: true, color: "00C9A7"
});
slide2.addText("• Revenue grew 40% this year\n• 3 new markets entered\n• Team expanded to 50 people", {
  x: 0.8, y: 1.8, w: 8.5, h: 3,
  fontSize: 20, color: "DDDDDD"
});

pptx.writeFile({ fileName: "output.pptx" });
console.log("Done!");