[python-win32] Python and IUnknown-based COM objects

[Kirk Fertitta]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your prompt and helpful reply.  I'll have a look at comtypes and maybe wait for Thomas Heller to return if I struggle.

Thanks again.

-kirk

Kirk Fertitta
Chief Technical Officer
Pacific MindWorks, Inc.
www.pacificmindworks.com
ph: 858-587-8876 x237
fax: 858-587-8907


-----Original Message-----
From: python-win32-bounces at python.org [mailto:python-win32-bounces at python.org] On Behalf Of Tim Golden
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 9:14 AM
Cc: python-win32 at python.org
Subject: Re: [python-win32] Python and IUnknown-based COM objects

Kirk Fertitta wrote:
> I am trying to use a COM component that does not support the IDispatch
> interface.  It has only early-bound IUnknown derived interfaces in it.
> The folks at ActiveState directed me to this list for some assistance.
> It seems from some of the documentation I've come across that Python can
> make early-bound function calls, but it seems that all of the creation
> mechanisms perform a QueryInterface for IDispatch (which, of course,
> will always fail for our COM components).  Does anyone have any idea on
> if/how Python can be used with non-IDispatch COM components?  Any advice
> is very much appreciated.

The short answer is: you want comtypes.
I recommend getting the svn trunk

http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/comtypes/

The longer answer is that there *is* support for non-IDispatch
interfaces in pywin32, but it's more-or-less the raison d'etre for
comtypes (whose principal architect Thomas Heller is still away
on holiday, I think), while it's one thing among many in pywin32
which is notoriously underdocumented and more complex in any
case.

TJG
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