embedding problem with dictionary

[Howard Lightstone]

I am using a mixed C(++)/Python program to process some real-time data.  
The Python part (2.0 in my case) handles the GUI, operator selections, etc.,
and the C part does the real-time (at least as good as W-ants-to-do-whatever
-it-wants-INDOWS will let it).

I build a dictionary in my C code which contains some other dictionaries 
and pass it from an embedded Python extension to a C routine (which actually 
runs the real-time part).  I am able to use all the parts of this dictionary
(getdict).

However, I now need to pass back some values to the Python code (through 
the dictionary) using putdict().  I seem to be getting intermittent results 
here.  Sometimes the values are unchanged from passed-in values and 
sometimes they work.  

Am I not doing what I think I am?

Interface routines:

(idict is the dictionary object passed in from Python to C++)

static int
getdictstring(char *basename,char *key,char *dest,int destlen,int forceabort)
{
  char *d=basename,dn[200],*buffer;
  PyObject *pnr,*pnd,*pnt;
  int slen;

  if (!basename)
	d="";
  // find correct "dict"
  pnd=idict;
  if (*d)   // is the the base dictionary or a dictionary object
  {
    pnd=PyDict_GetItemString(idict,basename); // borrowed reference
    if (!pnd)
	{
	  if (forceabort)
	  {
	     sprintf(dn,"bad subdict : %.50s",basename);
	     raise_fatal_error(dn);
	  }
	  else
	     return 1;
	}
  }

  pnr=PyDict_GetItemString (pnd, key);  // borrowed reference
  if (!pnr)
    {
	if (forceabort)
	{
	  sprintf(dn,"bad key name %.50s : %.50s",basename ? basename:"",key);
	raise_fatal_error(dn);
	}
    else
	return 2;
    }
  pnt=PyObject_Str(pnr);  // new ref
  if (PyString_AsStringAndSize (pnt, &buffer, &slen) < 0)
    {
	raise_fatal_error("asStringAndSize");
    }
  if (slen >= destlen)
    slen=destlen-1;
  memcpy(dest,buffer,slen);
  dest[slen]=0;
  Py_DECREF(pnt);			// remove "new" ref

  return 0;
}

#if 1
int
putdict(char *basename,char *key,char *value)
{
  char *d=basename;
  PyObject *pnd,*pnt;

  if (!basename)
    d="";
  // find correct "dict"
  pnd=idict;
  if (*d)    	    	// is it the base dictionary or an object in it
  {
    pnd=PyDict_GetItemString(idict,basename); // borrowed reference
    if (!pnd)
	{
	  // must "create" such a subdictionary
	  pnd=PyDict_New();		// new reference
	  // add reference into main dict
	  PyDict_SetItemString(idict,basename,pnd);
	  // always leave with valid pnd
	}
  }

  // create the 'string' object
  pnt=PyString_FromString(value);		// new reference ...leave it around

  PyDict_SetItemString(pnd,key,pnt);  // if this replaces something (as is usual)
				           // python handles ref counts
  return 0;
}
#endif