PowerPoint Add-in with JavaScript
Open File Explorer and create the (C:\temp\vscode-yeoman) folder.
Open Visual Studio Code.
Display the Terminal window (View > Terminal).
Change to that folder.
cd C:\temp\vscode-yeoman
Install Yeoman
The Yeoman generator is an open source scaffolding tool for creating web applications.
This generator creates a Node.js project.
npm install -g yo
npm install -g generator-office
check the versions and update if necessary.
yo --version
npm view generator-office version
Generate Template Files
Run the Yeoman generator to create the project.
yo office
Choose a project type: Select "Office Add-in Task Pane project".
![]() |
Choose a script type: Select "JavaScript".
What do you want to name your add-in: Type "PowerPoint-JavaScript".
Choose which office client application you want to target: Select "PowerPoint".
All the necessary files will then be created for you.
package.json file
Change to that folder.
cd PowerPoint-JavaScript
Open this folder in the current Visual Studio Code instance.
code -a.
Open the Explorer pane (View > Explorer).
Expand the project "PowerPoint-JavaScript".
![]() |
Click on the package.json file.
{
"name": "office-addin-taskpane-js",
"version": "0.0.1",
"repository": {
"type": "git",
"url": "https://github.com/OfficeDev/Office-Addin-TaskPane-JS.git"
},
"license": "MIT",
"config": {
"app_to_debug": "powerpoint",
"app_type_to_debug": "desktop",
"dev_server_port": 3000
},
"scripts": {
"build": "webpack --mode production",
"build:dev": "webpack --mode development",
"dev-server": "webpack serve --mode development",
"lint": "office-addin-lint check",
"lint:fix": "office-addin-lint fix",
"prettier": "office-addin-lint prettier",
"start": "office-addin-debugging start manifest.xml",
"start:desktop": "office-addin-debugging start manifest.xml desktop",
"start:web": "office-addin-debugging start manifest.xml web",
"stop": "office-addin-debugging stop manifest.xml",
"validate": "office-addin-manifest validate manifest.xml",
"watch": "webpack --mode development --watch"
},
"dependencies": {
"core-js": "^3.9.1",
"regenerator-runtime": "^0.13.7"
},
"devDependencies": {
"@babel/core": "^7.13.10",
"@babel/preset-env": "^7.12.11",
"@babel/preset-typescript": "^7.13.0",
"@types/office-js": "^1.0.256",
"@types/office-runtime": "^1.0.23",
"acorn": "^8.5.0",
"babel-loader": "^8.2.2",
"copy-webpack-plugin": "^9.0.1",
"eslint-plugin-office-addins": "^2.0.3",
"file-loader": "^6.2.0",
"html-loader": "^2.1.2",
"html-webpack-plugin": "^5.3.2",
"office-addin-cli": "^1.3.8",
"office-addin-debugging": "^4.3.14",
"office-addin-dev-certs": "^1.7.10",
"office-addin-lint": "^2.0.3",
"office-addin-manifest": "^1.8.1",
"office-addin-prettier-config": "^1.1.7",
"os-browserify": "^0.3.0",
"process": "^0.11.10",
"source-map-loader": "^3.0.0",
"ts-loader": "^9.2.5",
"typescript": "^4.3.5",
"webpack": "^5.50.0",
"webpack-cli": "^4.8.0",
"webpack-dev-server": "4.7.4"
},
"prettier": "office-addin-prettier-config",
"browserslist": [
"ie 11"
]
}
manifest.xml
Click on the manifest.xml file.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<OfficeApp xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/appforoffice/1.1" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:bt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/officeappbasictypes/1.0" xmlns:ov="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/taskpaneappversionoverrides" xsi:type="TaskPaneApp">
<Id>1d9ebe41-a5a9-4059-896d-94f07d6c5632</Id>
<Version>1.0.0.0</Version>
<ProviderName>Contoso</ProviderName>
<DefaultLocale>en-US</DefaultLocale>
<DisplayName DefaultValue="PowerPoint-JavaScript"/>
<Description DefaultValue="A template to get started."/>
<IconUrl DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-32.png"/>
<HighResolutionIconUrl DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-64.png"/>
<SupportUrl DefaultValue="https://www.contoso.com/help"/>
<AppDomains>
<AppDomain>https://www.contoso.com</AppDomain>
</AppDomains>
<Hosts>
<Host Name="Presentation"/>
</Hosts>
<DefaultSettings>
<SourceLocation DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/taskpane.html"/>
</DefaultSettings>
<Permissions>ReadWriteDocument</Permissions>
<VersionOverrides xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/taskpaneappversionoverrides" xsi:type="VersionOverridesV1_0">
<Hosts>
<Host xsi:type="Presentation">
<DesktopFormFactor>
<GetStarted>
<Title resid="GetStarted.Title"/>
<Description resid="GetStarted.Description"/>
<LearnMoreUrl resid="GetStarted.LearnMoreUrl"/>
</GetStarted>
<FunctionFile resid="Commands.Url"/>
<ExtensionPoint xsi:type="PrimaryCommandSurface">
<OfficeTab id="TabHome">
<Group id="CommandsGroup">
<Label resid="CommandsGroup.Label"/>
<Icon>
<bt:Image size="16" resid="Icon.16x16"/>
<bt:Image size="32" resid="Icon.32x32"/>
<bt:Image size="80" resid="Icon.80x80"/>
</Icon>
<Control xsi:type="Button" id="TaskpaneButton">
<Label resid="TaskpaneButton.Label"/>
<Supertip>
<Title resid="TaskpaneButton.Label"/>
<Description resid="TaskpaneButton.Tooltip"/>
</Supertip>
<Icon>
<bt:Image size="16" resid="Icon.16x16"/>
<bt:Image size="32" resid="Icon.32x32"/>
<bt:Image size="80" resid="Icon.80x80"/>
</Icon>
<Action xsi:type="ShowTaskpane">
<TaskpaneId>ButtonId1</TaskpaneId>
<SourceLocation resid="Taskpane.Url"/>
</Action>
</Control>
</Group>
</OfficeTab>
</ExtensionPoint>
</DesktopFormFactor>
</Host>
</Hosts>
<Resources>
<bt:Images>
<bt:Image id="Icon.16x16" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-16.png"/>
<bt:Image id="Icon.32x32" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-32.png"/>
<bt:Image id="Icon.80x80" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/assets/icon-80.png"/>
</bt:Images>
<bt:Urls>
<bt:Url id="GetStarted.LearnMoreUrl" DefaultValue="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=276812"/>
<bt:Url id="Commands.Url" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/commands.html"/>
<bt:Url id="Taskpane.Url" DefaultValue="https://localhost:3000/taskpane.html"/>
</bt:Urls>
<bt:ShortStrings>
<bt:String id="GetStarted.Title" DefaultValue="Get started with your sample add-in!"/>
<bt:String id="CommandsGroup.Label" DefaultValue="Commands Group"/>
<bt:String id="TaskpaneButton.Label" DefaultValue="Show Taskpane"/>
</bt:ShortStrings>
<bt:LongStrings>
<bt:String id="GetStarted.Description" DefaultValue="Your sample add-in loaded succesfully. Go to the HOME tab and click the 'Show Taskpane' button to get started."/>
<bt:String id="TaskpaneButton.Tooltip" DefaultValue="Click to Show a Taskpane"/>
</bt:LongStrings>
</Resources>
</VersionOverrides>
</OfficeApp>
webpack.config.js
Click on the webpack.config.js file.
/* eslint-disable no-undef */
const devCerts = require("office-addin-dev-certs");
const CopyWebpackPlugin = require("copy-webpack-plugin");
const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require("html-webpack-plugin");
const urlDev = "https://localhost:3000/";
const urlProd = "https://www.contoso.com/"; // CHANGE THIS TO YOUR PRODUCTION DEPLOYMENT LOCATION
async function getHttpsOptions() {
const httpsOptions = await devCerts.getHttpsServerOptions();
return { cacert: httpsOptions.ca, key: httpsOptions.key, cert: httpsOptions.cert };
}
module.exports = async (env, options) => {
const dev = options.mode === "development";
const config = {
devtool: "source-map",
entry: {
polyfill: ["core-js/stable", "regenerator-runtime/runtime"],
taskpane: "./src/taskpane/taskpane.js",
commands: "./src/commands/commands.js",
},
output: {
devtoolModuleFilenameTemplate: "webpack:///[resource-path]?[loaders]",
clean: true,
},
resolve: {
extensions: [".html", ".js"],
},
module: {
rules: [
{
test: /\.js$/,
exclude: /node_modules/,
use: {
loader: "babel-loader",
options: {
presets: ["@babel/preset-env"],
},
},
},
{
test: /\.html$/,
exclude: /node_modules/,
use: "html-loader",
},
{
test: /\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|ico)$/,
type: "asset/resource",
generator: {
filename: "assets/[name][ext][query]",
},
},
],
},
plugins: [
new HtmlWebpackPlugin({
filename: "taskpane.html",
template: "./src/taskpane/taskpane.html",
chunks: ["polyfill", "taskpane"],
}),
new CopyWebpackPlugin({
patterns: [
{
from: "assets/*",
to: "assets/[name][ext][query]",
},
{
from: "manifest*.xml",
to: "[name]" + "[ext]",
transform(content) {
if (dev) {
return content;
} else {
return content.toString().replace(new RegExp(urlDev, "g"), urlProd);
}
},
},
],
}),
new HtmlWebpackPlugin({
filename: "commands.html",
template: "./src/commands/commands.html",
chunks: ["polyfill", "commands"],
}),
],
devServer: {
headers: {
"Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "*",
},
https: env.WEBPACK_BUILD || options.https !== undefined ? options.https : await getHttpsOptions(),
port: process.env.npm_package_config_dev_server_port || 3000,
},
};
return config;
};
Other Project Files
The other project files are displayed on this page for reference.
Load the Add-in - Desktop
The add-in can be sideloaded into your PowerPoint client.
Execute the following command:
cd C:\temp\vscode-yeoman\PowerPoint-JavaScript
npm start
This will start the local web server and open PowerPoint with the add-in loaded.
A small node window will be displayed.
A security warning dialog box will be displayed (the first time), asking you to install the certificate. Press Yes.
Select the Home tab and you will see a new group called "Commands Group" on the right hand side.
Press the "Show Taskpane" button to display the taskpane.
Press the Run button to insert the text "Hello World".
![]() |
When you have finished testing you need to execute the following command:
npm stop
Load the Add-in - Online
The add-in can be sideloaded into your Office Online.
Execute the following command:
cd C:\temp\vscode-yeoman\PowerPoint-JavaScript
npm start web
Allow localhost loopback for Microsoft Edge Web Browser?: Yes
This will start the local web server.
The add-in will not appear automatically and will require side loading.
![]() |
© 2023 Better Solutions Limited. All Rights Reserved. © 2023 Better Solutions Limited TopPrevNext