Help accessing COM .dll from Python

Günther Dietrich gd.usenet at spamfence.net
Sat Dec 1 05:42:37 EST 2012


Steve Simmons <square.steve at gmail.com> wrote:

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>    <font size="-1"><font face="Bitstream Vera Sans">First time post -
>        be gentle wi<font size="-1">th me :-)<br>
>          <br>
>        </font>I am trying to write a Python <font size="-1">script to
>          access a scanning d<font size="-1">evice.  <font size="-1">I
>              have an SDK for t<font size="-1">he</font> <font
>                size="-1">scanner but the documentation is a <font
>                  size="-1">bit limited and the supplier doesn't support
>                  Python (but <font size="-1"><font size="-1">Python is
>                      the best option for me <font size="-1">in the
>                        current 
>                        circumstances).</font></font> </font></font></font
>                        ></font></font>
>          <br>
>          <br>
>          The SDK revolves around a .dll fi<font size="-1">le that <font
>              size="-1">is described as a 'COM Ob<font size="-1">ject'
>                but the text also implies that it can be ac<font
>                  size="-1">cessed directly - "If you don’t use the COM
>                  interface in your application and use the SDK files
>                  directly like in VC++ then you don’t need to install
>                  these files on the destination computer".  If I look
>                  inside the .d<font size="-1">ll (thanks PE<font
>                      size="-1"> Explorer!), I see DllCanUnload,
>                      DllGetClassObject, DllRegisterServer and
>                      DllUnregisterServer in the 'Export' view.  If I
>                      look at <font size="-1">the 'Import' view, I can
>                        see the names of a bunc<font size="-1">h of <font
>                            size="-1">.dll files and </font></font>the
>                        names of the <font size="-1">functions</font>/methods
>                        I want to call.  So I concluded that  
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>                                size="-1">DllGetClassObject
>                                          <font size="-1">would be my
>                                            
>                                friend.</font></font></font></font></font></fon
>                                t></font></font></font></font></font>
>                    </font></font><br>
>                  <br>
>                  <font size="-1">However, I've <font size="-1">read
>                      various tutorials on using .dll and COM (ctypes,
>                      comtypes, and the Python documentation) and I've
>                      ended up <font size="-1">more confused than when
>                        I started.  <font size="-1">I expected to be
>                          using COM but all the examples seem to revolve
>                          around automating excel or out<font 
>                          size="-1">look.<br>
>                            <br>
>                            <font size="-1">I'd be really grateful for
>                              some hints on what direction I<font
>                                size="-1"> should be head<font size="-1">ed
>                                  and a pointer to a relevant 
>                                tutorial.</font></font></font></font>
>                        </font></font></font></font><br>
>                  <br>
>                  <font size="-1">Simmo</font><br>
>                </font></font></font></font></font></font></font>
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Best regards,

Günther



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