Is it possible to create a database from Powerpoint?

Question

Just had this question asked during an interview? It may have been a trick question that I foolishly responded, "YES" to! F#$K! I was sooo nervous!

Answer 1

Hi,

The answer is Yes, by at least 2 methods.

You can use Insert > Object > Microsoft Excel Workbook. Then, in Excel you can use the Data menu to Get Extermal Data > New Database Query.

From there you can perform any fully relational database activity that you want (including multi-table structured query language SQL stuff).

So inside PowerPoint you can do it.

Also, PowerPoint supports Visual Basic, which also allows for database queries directly into PowerPoint.

And lastly, PowerPoint 2007 and 2008 support XML which can be used as a database.

So you answered the question correctly. Now hope whomever wrote the question wasn't a dunce.

-Jim

Answer 2

It seems the most general solution would be some mechanism that emulates a file system, which could then be accessed via a network file system protocol from the machine running the desktop application.

I'd look into "fuse," which is a file system API on Linux. You may find that someone has already created a fuse driver for MySQL.

Another avenue would be creating a WebDAV interface to MySQL, which also may already exist. WebDAV can be accessed from many operating systems like a file system. I believe you can "mount" it on a Windows machine. There's probably a Perl module on CPAN if you needed to implement the protocol

Answer 3

No, it is not possible to create database from powerpoint.
power point is a application for creating presentation slide, it's not a RDBMS software.
You can create a database from XML file, Text File but you cannot create a database from Powerpoint file (*.pps)