[python-win32] Unable to use win32com on Ecco COM server despite success with VB and Perl COM

[Raymond Yee]

Mark -- thanks for responding.  Perhaps you can give me some hints about how
exactly I can proceed.  I know that the COM server works with VB and Perl -- so
there's something about how the COM server interacts with Python that is not
quite working.  I actually have asked the COM server vendor about the issue --
but he doesn't know anything about Python and besides, he has pointed out that
his COM server works with VB and C++ -- so he doesn't feel the problem is with
his server.

I actually have a copy of the visual basic code for a version of the software
before it became sold as a COM server.  Can you give me practical hints about
what to look for if I want to try to debug the interaction between win32com and
the COM server?  I have a copy of your Python and Win32 book and have skimmed
the chapters on COM.

Thanks,
-Raymond

Mark Hammond wrote:

> The 2 return values are almost certainly because the first param to the
> function is flagged as "inout", or ByRef (the default) in VB.
>
> Thus, you get a tuple - the param, and the result.
>
> Unfortunately, I have no idea why this would not be working.  It seems to me
> simply that the COM server is returning NULL instead of an object.  Without
> knowing details about the object, I really can't say.
>
> Maybe you should try asking the control vendor?
>
> MArk.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: python-win32-admin@python.org
> > [mailto:python-win32-admin@python.org]On Behalf Of Raymond Yee
> > Sent: Tuesday, 23 April 2002 3:22 AM
> > To: python-win32@python.org
> > Subject: [python-win32] Unable to use win32com on Ecco COM server
> > despite success with VB and Perl COM
> >
> >
> > [I've previously posted to comp.lang.python but am still stuck:
> > http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=ccomp.lang.python&hl=en&group=c
> omp.lang.python&safe=off&selm=e5eab55e.0204191549.41985d9a%40posting.google.
> com]
> >
> > I've been trying unsuccesfully to use Python to access the functionality
> > of the "Visual Basic Toolkit" (http://www.ivitar.com/vbecco/). The
> > toolkit is a COM InProc
> > Server (.exe).
> >
> > I'm puzzled as to how to proceed because of two things:  1) My Python
> > program is able to use some functions of the toolkit but not others and
> > 2) I've had success with both Visual Basic and Perl in accessing the
> > toolkit via COM.
> >
> > Below are the three versions of the program.  Ecco is a personal
> > information manager.  This program is supposed to print out the text of
> > any selected outline and the corresponding URL in a folder called "Net
> > Location"  (The developer key has beeen x'ed out)
> >
> > In the Perl and VB versions, I am able to get both the "text value" of
> > the selected item ($item->Text in Perl) and the corresponding URL
> > ($item->FolderValue("Net Location")).  However, in the Python version,
> > while EccoItem.Text is what I expect, EccoItem.FolderValue("Net
> > Location") returns
> >
> > (u'Net Location', None)
> >
> > -- a tuple, whose first item is type unicode.  However, I don't see
> > anything in the return value remotely related to the URL I'm trying to
> > access.
> >
> > Any suggestions on how to get Python to work with the toolkit? (Am I
> > using the wrong syntax?  Are there options I'm setting right? How should
> > I debug this?)
> >
> > (I'm running ActivePython version 2.2.0 build 221 change 37890 on
> > Windows 2000 Professional)
> >
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > -Raymond Yee
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> > Python version:
> >
> > # build OPML from the selected outline (if more than one is selected,
> > use the first item
> >
> > import win32com.client
> > Ecco = win32com.client.Dispatch("VBEcco.EccoApp")
> > Ecco.Register("xxxxxxxx", -1, -1)
> > EccoSelection = Ecco.Selection
> >
> > #print value of item in Net Location folder
> >
> > for EccoItem in EccoSelection:
> >     print "Text: " + EccoItem.Text
> >     print EccoItem.FolderValue("Net Location")
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Perl version:
> >
> > # establish COM connection to Ecco
> >
> > use Win32::OLE qw(in);
> > #use Win32::OLE::in;
> >
> > my($ecco, $sel, $item);
> >
> > $ecco = Win32::OLE->new("VBEcco.EccoApp", 'Quit');
> > $ecco->Register("xxxxxxxx", -1, -1);
> >
> > $sel = $ecco->Selection;
> >
> > foreach $item (in($sel)) {
> >
> >     print $item->Text, "\n";
> >     print $item->FolderValue("Net Location") , "\n";
> >
> > }
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Visual Basic version:
> >
> > Option Explicit
> >
> > 'Place in Declarations
> > Dim Ecco As EccoApp
> > Dim EccoSelection As EccoItems
> > Dim EccoItem As EccoItem
> >
> > Private Sub Form_Load()
> >
> > Set Ecco = New EccoApp
> > Ecco.Register "xxxxxxxx", -1, -1
> >
> > ' Get Selections
> > Set EccoSelection = Ecco.Selection
> >
> > 'if there is a first selection, print out the text, and figure out
> > whether there is an associated URL in the Net Location folder
> >
> > For Each EccoItem In EccoSelection
> >     MsgBox ("Text: " + EccoItem.Text)
> >     MsgBox ("NL: " + EccoItem.FolderValue("Net Location"))
> > Next
> >
> >
> > End Sub
> >
> > --
> > Raymond Yee                          44 Barrows Hall, #3810
> > Technology Architect                            UC Berkeley
> > Interactive University Project      Berkeley, CA 94720-3810
> > yee@uclink.berkeley.edu                 510-642-0476 (work)
> > http://www.raymondyee.net               413-541-5683  (fax)
> >
> >
> >
> >
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