SAFEARRAY(ISpecific*)* type in COM Automation from Python

[Putland, Karl]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex Martelli [mailto:aleaxit at yahoo.com]
> Subject: SAFEARRAY(ISpecific*)* type in COM Automation from Python
> 
> 
> A problem I hadn't seen yet -- wonder if anybody has already
> solved it and can offer advice...
> 
> I have to call a method on an Automation object that needs
> a parameter of type SAFEARRAY(IFoo*), where IFoo is a (dual)
> interface defined in that same type library.  I can make
> suitable objects that implement IFoo through suitable factory
> methods in that object-model, but when I then try to pass a
> list of those 'suitable objects' where the SAFEARRAY(IFoo*)
> is required, I get a "type mismatch" COM error:
> 
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<stdin>", line 1, in ?
>   File
> "d:\python20\win32com\gen_py\F4503A16-F637-11D2-BD55-005004004
> 05Bx0x1x0\I
> ProfileCreator.py", line 31, in AddProfile
>     ret = self._oleobj_.InvokeTypes(0x1, LCID, 1, (9, 0), 
> ((24585, 1), (11,
> 1)),
> pCvs, autoConstraint)
> pywintypes.com_error: (-2147352571, 'Type mismatch.', None, 1)
> 
> Is there some known way to solve this peculiar problem...?
> 
> 
> Alex
> 
> 

Bellow is a snipped dredged up from a Python 
COM server I wrote a while back.  I think
you will find this helpful.  First create
a collection, then wrap the collection.

--Karl


def foo:
    ...
    tmpfields=[]
    for field in table_inst.fields:
        field._public_methods_ = ['read',
                                  'write',
                                  'append']
        field._public_attrs_ = ['name',
                                'size',
                                'type'
                                'value']
        name = string.lower(field.name)
        field = win32com.server.util.wrap(field)
        tmpfields.append(field)
        setattr(table_inst, name, field)

    # turn tmpfields into a collection
    if debug:
        print "\n turn tmpfields into a collection"
        print "\n tmpfields Before: " + `tmpfields`
    tmpfields=win32com.server.util.Collection(tmpfields,1)
    if debug: print "\ntmpfields After: " + `tmpfields`

    ### WOW I finally grok
    # Wrap the Collection.
    tmpfields=win32com.server.util.wrap(tmpfields)

    setattr(table_inst, "fields", tmpfields)

    # Return a wrapped table
    wrappedtable=win32com.server.util.wrap(table_inst)

    return wrappedtable