PowerPoint Generation and Location Workflow

When to Use This Skill

Use this workflow when:

• Direct document generation tools fail or are unavailable
• You need to create PowerPoint presentations with specific slide content and structure
• Output files may be created in unexpected nested directories within the workspace

Step 1: Generate PowerPoint via shell_agent

Delegate the PowerPoint creation task to shell_agent with clear specifications:

Use shell_agent to create a PowerPoint presentation with:
- Specify the exact number of slides needed
- Define the content/topic for each slide
- Request the file be saved with a clear filename (e.g., presentation.pptx)
- Ask the agent to confirm the file path after creation

Example task description:

Create a PowerPoint presentation with 10 slides covering [topic]. Each slide should have a title and bullet points. Save it as presentation.pptx and tell me the full file path.

Step 2: Locate the Output File

PowerPoint files created by shell_agent may be in nested workspace directories. Use the find command to locate them:

# Find all .pptx files in the workspace
find . -name "*.pptx" -type f

# Or search for a specific filename
find . -name "presentation.pptx" -type f

Step 3: Copy to Working Directory

Once located, copy the file to your working directory:

# Copy the found file to current directory
cp /path/to/found/presentation.pptx .

# Or move it if you prefer
mv /path/to/found/presentation.pptx .

Step 4: Verify the File

Confirm the file exists and is accessible:

# List the file with details
ls -la presentation.pptx

# Check file size to ensure it's not empty
file presentation.pptx

Common Pitfalls

1. Don't assume the file is in the current directory - shell_agent may create files in subdirectories
2. Don't skip the find step - always verify the file location before proceeding
3. Check file size - ensure the PowerPoint file is not empty (0 bytes)
4. Request confirmation - ask shell_agent to report the file path after creation

Example Workflow

# Step 1: shell_agent creates the presentation (done via task delegation)

# Step 2: Find the created file
find . -name "*.pptx" -type f
# Output: ./workspace/task_123/output/presentation.pptx

# Step 3: Copy to working directory
cp ./workspace/task_123/output/presentation.pptx .

# Step 4: Verify
ls -la presentation.pptx
# Output: -rw-r--r-- 1 user user 45632 Jan 15 10:30 presentation.pptx

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
File not found with find	Search broader: find / -name "*.pptx" 2>/dev/null
File is 0 bytes	Re-run shell_agent task; ensure it completed successfully
Permission denied	Check directory permissions with ls -la on parent dirs
Multiple .pptx files found	Use more specific search: find . -name "*presentation*.pptx"