Auto-extract slide decks from folders

To automatically extract slide decks (like PowerPoint or Google Slides files) from folders, you can use a script or tool that scans the folder, identifies slide files, and extracts them. The exact method depends on your platform and the file types you’re working with. Here’s a breakdown of potential solutions for different environments:

1. Windows (PowerShell Script)

You can use PowerShell to search for .pptx (PowerPoint) files in a specific folder and subfolders and extract them to another location:

powershell
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# Set the folder path you want to search
$sourceFolder = "C:PathToSourceFolder"
$destinationFolder = "C:PathToDestinationFolder"

# Get all PowerPoint files (.pptx) in the source folder and subfolders
Get-ChildItem -Path $sourceFolder -Recurse -Filter *.pptx | ForEach-Object {
    # Copy each slide deck to the destination folder
    Copy-Item -Path $_.FullName -Destination $destinationFolder
}

This will scan the entire folder and its subdirectories for .pptx files and copy them to your destination folder.

2. MacOS (Automator + AppleScript)

If you’re on macOS, you can use Automator to create a service that searches for PowerPoint files in a specific folder.

• Open Automator and create a new workflow.

• Add a “Find Finder Items” action and set it to search for .pptx files in a folder.

• Add the “Copy Finder Items” action to move the files to a new location.

3. Google Drive (Google Apps Script)

For Google Slides files stored in Google Drive, you can use Google Apps Script to scan a folder for Google Slides files and copy them to another folder.

Here’s an example script to do this:

javascript
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function extractSlideDecks() {
  var sourceFolderId = 'YOUR_SOURCE_FOLDER_ID';
  var destinationFolderId = 'YOUR_DESTINATION_FOLDER_ID';
  
  var sourceFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(sourceFolderId);
  var destinationFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(destinationFolderId);
  
  var files = sourceFolder.getFilesByType(MimeType.GOOGLE_SLIDES);
  
  while (files.hasNext()) {
    var file = files.next();
    file.makeCopy(file.getName(), destinationFolder);
  }
}

• To use this, open the Google Apps Script editor, paste the script, and run it.

4. Linux (Bash Script)

For Linux, a simple bash script can be used to find .pptx files in a folder and copy them to another directory:

bash
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#!/bin/bash
source_folder="/path/to/source"
destination_folder="/path/to/destination"

# Find all .pptx files and copy them to the destination folder
find "$source_folder" -type f -name "*.pptx" -exec cp {} "$destination_folder" ;

This will search the source_folder for all .pptx files and copy them to the destination_folder.

5. Cloud Solutions (Zapier, Integromat)

If you prefer a no-code solution, platforms like Zapier or Integromat (now Make) allow you to create workflows that automatically move files between cloud services. You could set up an automation to detect new slide decks in a specific folder and copy or extract them to another location.

Would you like help with a specific platform or type of file?