Is there a good example on instantiating, calling, using, an API from Python on Windows?

[kj7ny]

Is there a good example on instantiating, calling, using, etc., an API
from Python?

I need to use Python to talk to another system through that system's
API's on Windows XP.

Can you point me to documentation and/or a good example of Python using
3rd party API's? (Preferably a good example rather than just
documentation.)

And, can I do this from Python 2.4.# or should I try to learn how to
use Iron Python?  (By the way, if the examples could be for python
2.4.# it would be preferable.)

Thanks,