[python-win32] Launching COM apps from Python

[Tony Cappellini]

I'm trying to launch an in-house COM-server from Python.
I do have the IDL file that the TLB was created from but ....

I haven't been to launch the program successfully yet.
I've registered the app as a com server, run makepy and imported the
resulting py file.

I've tried following the examples in Programming Python on W32 as well.

So I looked in the Win32com/test directory, at the test scripts for the
Office Apps, trying to follow suit.

I've tried this approach
mytest = win32com.client.dynamic.Dispatch("mytest.Application")

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
  File "C:\Python23\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\__init__.py", line
95, in Dispatch
    dispatch, userName =
dynamic._GetGoodDispatchAndUserName(dispatch,userName,clsctx)
  File "C:\Python23\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\dynamic.py", line
91, in _GetGoodDispatchAndUserName
    return (_GetGoodDispatch(IDispatch, clsctx), userName)
  File "C:\Python23\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\dynamic.py", line
79, in _GetGoodDispatch
    IDispatch = pythoncom.CoCreateInstance(IDispatch, None, clsctx,
pythoncom.IID_IDispatch)
com_error: (-2147221005, 'Invalid class string', None, None)


as well as
mytest = win32com.client.dynamic.Dispatch("mytest")

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
  File "C:\Python23\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\__init__.py", line
95, in Dispatch
    dispatch, userName =
dynamic._GetGoodDispatchAndUserName(dispatch,userName,clsctx)
  File "C:\Python23\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\dynamic.py", line
91, in _GetGoodDispatchAndUserName
    return (_GetGoodDispatch(IDispatch, clsctx), userName)
  File "C:\Python23\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\dynamic.py", line
79, in _GetGoodDispatch
    IDispatch = pythoncom.CoCreateInstance(IDispatch, None, clsctx,
pythoncom.IID_IDispatch)
com_error: (-2147221005, 'Invalid class string', None, None)


I've substituted the name "mytest" with the case-sensitive name from the
IDL file.

This COM stuff just drives me crazy.

Would anyone mind pointing me in the right direction?

thanks