Hi, I have built a python application that uses a COM server from multiple threads, and despite some initial problems, I got it to work. I found out (the hard way) that the COM server would have undefined behaviour if some of its functions were called at the same time form multiple threads (so it was not thread-safe, although from the registry keys it looked as if it was), so I made the calls from my application sequential using locks etc.
Although that is now working fine, I would be really happy if I could drop this sequential performance hit, from within my multithreaded python process. After some experimenting, it seems that launching mulitple python *processes* and using the COM server, works without any issues (as it was expected, since my understanding is that no matter what the threading model of a COM server is, when used by different processes there should be no interference. note I am new to COM and likely to be wrong). I need to do this without launching seperate processes, or if thats the only way, then to easily be able to do inter-proc communication (last resort only) The COM server is inproc (dll), and I can not modify it. What I have tried: - Use DispatchEx instead of Dispatch: this works with other COM servers, like MS Word and Excel, but not with mine. Probalby has to do with the fact that they are local servers, whereas mine is inproc. - CoInitialize, CoInitializeEx with flags: no luck - using CoGetClassObject instead of CoCreateInstance in pythoncom, since I read that this would be the way to go if you require multiple instances of a server: I didnt manage to get it working because the return type is different to that of CoCreateInstance and I dont know how to deal with this (ctypes) - CoCreateInstanceEx: no luck In short I am looking for a way to always get a new instance of the COM server when using dispatch, even if it is inproc. I am open to any suggestions and corrections to my limited COM knowledge _______________________________________________ Python-win32 mailing list Python-win32@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-win32
