checking if shapes exist and grouping them

I've a small problem.

I'm creating a powerpoint presentation based on a data in excel.

The presentation consists of dozens of rounded rectangles with text in them, and depending on data, they may get a star, circle or other kind of things on top of them (small pictures).

I would somehow be able to group these shapes...

So far I'm creating the shapes(4 different shapes for now):

the 'main' rounded rectangle is named 'boxframe' & indexnr

star is named star & indernr (the indexnr is always same as in the box, so if there's a box with index 12, and it has data in it which qualifies a star on it, the star will be named star12.

and few more objects, similarly named.

I've counted how many boxforms there is on the sheet and made a loop through all of them, but then there's the problem. I've no idea how to check if the star @ that indexnr exists... if I knew I could just:

for i = 1 to boxframecount
if existsshape.name("star"&i) then
groupedshapes = groupedshapes+1
checking rest of the shapes.
end if
Dim shapesarray(1 to groupedshapes) as variant
Shapes.Range(shapesarray).Group

Note that the code in the tags is not real, it would give gazillion errors, but it's approx how i'm planning. Just, I've no idea how to check if a shape exists.

Thanks.

ps. this is not strictly an excel problem, but vba :P

Couldn't get it work :I

here's how I tried it now:

    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST
    temp = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("star" & i).Name
    grouped(2) = "star" & i
    groupedamount = groupedamount + 1
ERR_DOESNTEXIST:

    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST2
    temp = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("top" & i).Name
    grouped(3) = "top" & i
    groupedamount = groupedamount + 1
ERR_DOESNTEXIST2:
    
    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST3
    temp = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("picture" & i).Name
    grouped(4) = "picture" & i
    groupedamount = groupedamount + 1
ERR_DOESNTEXIST3:

so... basically it should just jump over the adding to array and such if an error appears... It just doesn't work :P

Nevermind, solved :P

here's the code

    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST
    exists = True
    temp = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("star" & i).Name
    If exists = True Then
        grouped(2) = "star" & i
        groupedamount = groupedamount + 1
        exists = False
    End If
ERR_DOESNTEXIST:
    If exists = True Then
        exists = False
        Resume Next
    End If
    
    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST2
    exists = True
    temp = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("top" & i).Name
    If exists = True Then
    grouped(3) = "top" & i
    groupedamount = groupedamount + 1
    exists = False
    End If
ERR_DOESNTEXIST2:
    If exists = True Then
        exists = False
        Resume Next
    End If
    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST3
        exists = True
    temp = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("picture" & i).Name
    If exists = True Then
    grouped(4) = "picture" & i
    groupedamount = groupedamount + 1
    exists = False
    End If
ERR_DOESNTEXIST3:
    If exists = True Then
        exists = False
        Resume Next
    End If

Originally Posted by Andy Pope

If all items are required in order to group them then you can condense you code to

    On Error GoTo ERR_DOESNTEXIST
    grouped(2) = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("star" & i).Name
    grouped(3) = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("top" & i).Name
    grouped(4) = opa.ActivePresentation.Slides(activeslide).Shapes("picture" & i).Name
    ' group items

' code to group items
    
ERR_DOESNTEXIST:
    Exit Sub

Thank you, though not all are required. Just need to have 2 elements for grouping.

The meaning of this grouping is that if user has to modify the presentation by hand a bit, it's easier to move the groups of objects which belong together, than all objects separately.

So if there's no extra objects at all, I skip the grouping all together ( There is always the 'boxframe' That's where all are 'attached')

I'm sure there's million better ways to code this than mine and I'm always writing quite bloated code. But no-one else is reading this but me

Thanks anyway.