Question : How do you group PowerPoint Objects on a slide

I have an Excel file with a map of object names, slide number and grouping ID.
From excel, i populate a powerpoint template with certain data tables, text boxes, etc. I then want to group certain objects according to the mapping in the excel template.

It groups the first object easily enough but then I get the following error on the second grouping.

-2147188160 Shape.Select : Invalid Request. To select a shape, it's view must be active.

I assume that i need to select the new slide or something, but not sure what.

Below is my code.

any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks...

Code Snippet:

         
           
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             Sub GroupObject()
    
On Error GoTo errHandler:

Dim ShapeList() As String
Dim oShape As Shape
Dim count As Long
Dim rngGroup As Range
Dim strObjName As String
Dim strSlideNum As Long

Set rngGroup = ThisWorkbook.Sheets(SHEETCONFIG).Range("nrGroupStart")
strObjName = rngGroup.Offset(0, 2).Value
strSlideNum = rngGroup.Offset(0, 3).Value

Do While rngGroup <> ""

count = 0
    Do
        count = count + 1
        ReDim Preserve ShapeList(1 To count)
        ShapeList(count) = oPPTFile.Slides(strSlideNum).Shapes(strObjName).Name
    
    Debug.Print strSlideNum&; " " & strObjName & " " & count
    Set rngGroup = rngGroup.Offset(1, 0)
    
    If rngGroup.Offset(0, 1) <> rngGroup.Offset(-1, 1) Then Exit Do
    
        strObjName = rngGroup.Offset(0, 2).Value
        strSlideNum = rngGroup.Offset(0, 3).Value

    Loop Until rngGroup.Offset(0, 1) <> rngGroup.Offset(-1, 1)

oPPTFile.Slides(strSlideNum).Shapes.Range(ShapeList()).Group.Select
        strObjName = rngGroup.Offset(0, 2).Value
        strSlideNum = rngGroup.Offset(0, 3).Value
Loop

Exit Sub

errHandler:
MsgBox Err.Number & Err.Description

End Sub

           
         

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Answer : How do you group PowerPoint Objects on a slide

You cannot select a shape if the slide it's on is not selected or active.

As rorya says though there's no need to select the group in your example.

oPPTFile.Slides(strSlideNum).Shapes.Range(ShapeList()).Group would be fine.

It's a good rule in PowerPoint to try to never select anything in code, it's very rarely necessary.