Windows, RS232, and Python

[Spencer Ernest Doidge]

I want to have control of every aspect of RS232 transmitting and
receiving in Win9x/NT with Python commands.

Question 1:
What such functionality is already built into Python and where is it
documented?

Whatever functionality is lacking, I will implement in Win32
API. My final product will present a complete GUI to the end user, but
behind-the-scenes folks will use extended Python from  the command line.

Question 2:
Between two approaches, which would work better:

A. Extend Python as needed, then embed this extended Python into my GUI
app. This would necessitate maintaining two applications: the extended
command-line Python for the behind-the-scenes users, and the GUI app for
the customers.

B. (I'm on shaky ground here, but from my early readings, I suspect that
this might be possible.)... Write my GUI to fire up a 2nd process, i.e.,
the extended Python, then somehow make calls to it across process
boundaries. By doing this, I would only have to maintain the GUI as
itself, and the extended Python as itself. Making a change in the extended
Python would not a priori require me to rebuild the GUI.

To anyone who takes the time to read and answer this post, I extend my
thanks in advance.

Spencer Doidge