Script to change PowerPoint shows automatically

Question

Hi, I'm trying to figure out a task using AppleScript without much joy, hoping some wise person can help me with some pearls of wisdom:)
Basically, I'm using a PowerMac running 10.3.9 to automatically display a PowerPoint show of announcements (.pps file). That works fine, it wakes at a certain time, and using a scheduled task in iCal it begins the PowerPoint show at the right time.
But at a certain time I want it to switch to a different .pps show, and I cannot get it to do this. It will not quit the current show without me manually hitting escape, and then it straight away loads and runs the next show, but it won't do it automatically.
Is this something I can write a specific AppleScript for? Or is it an iCal issue, where it won't run a scheduled task while another is running? Is it a Panther issue that has been resolved in Tiger?
I'd be grateful for any help, thanks:)
Mark.

Answer 1

Ironically, even with 'Microsoft Excel' instead of 'Microsoft PowerPoint' the two (2) code segments above did function as expected.
For clarity:
-- Code starts here --
set presentation01 to "HD02_140:Users:s:Desktop:Presentation1.pps"
set presentation02 to "HD02_140:Users:s:Desktop:Presentation2.pps"
set dPeriod to 25 -- Number of seconds to delay, before switching '.pss' files.
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint" to open presentation01 -- Open first presentation slide show.
delay dPeriod
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Microsoft PowerPoint" to key code 53 -- 'esc' key pressed.
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint" to open presentation02 -- Open second presentation slide show.
-- Code ends here --
... and ...
-- Code starts here --
set presentation02 to "HD02_140:Users:s:Desktop:Presentation2.pps"
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Microsoft PowerPoint" to key code 53 -- 'esc' key pressed.
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint" to open presentation02 -- Open second presentation slide show.
-- Code ends here --
However, the code segments can be reduced even further, to ...
-- Code starts here --
set presentation01 to "HD02_140:Users:s:Desktop:Presentation1.pps"
set presentation02 to "HD02_140:Users:s:Desktop:Presentation2.pps"
set dPeriod to 25 -- Number of seconds to delay, before switching '.pss' files.
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
open presentation01 -- Open first presentation slide show.
delay dPeriod
tell application "System Events" to key code 53 -- 'esc' key pressed.
open presentation02 -- Open second presentation slide show.
end tell
-- Code ends here --
... and ...
-- Code starts here --
set presentation02 to "HD02_140:Users:s:Desktop:Presentation2.pps"
tell application "System Events" to key code 53 -- 'esc' key pressed.
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint" to open presentation02 -- Open second presentation slide show.
-- Code ends here --
... respectively.