[python-win32] Re: Can we add 'native COM support' to a 3rd party DLL/OLB

[Thomas Heller]

> > :-(  I had inferred that Pythoncom's early binding would be sufficient
> > to deal with the documented IDispatch restriction, but Bill's comments
> > would seem to make that unlikely...
> > 
> > I came across 1 reference to vtables (C++) based interfaces in the
> > Pythoncom help file, albeit in relation to COM servers, which gives
> > me faint hope this is still feasible.  Lots of reading & code >
> > inspection still to do...
> 
> Let me know what you find. I also still have hope. I think the system
> the ESRI developers worked on was generic to three languages. We're only
> interested in one, and python is supposed to be easy to extend, so I
> think a relatively simple solution must be possible.
> 

I have not really followed the discussion, but ctypes has support
for vtable based interfaces. I'm currently writing some docs, you may
want to check it out:

http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes/
http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes/com.html
http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes/sum_sample.html

> > While comfortable with C, C++ is something I've never gotten into.  I
> > was hoping I could use Python instead of VB for my Arc based app.

To use ctypes beyond very basic use, you certainly need C knowledge.

Thomas