How to use Win32 API with Python?

Question

How can I use win32 API in Python? What is the best and easiest way to do it?
Can you please provide some examples?

Answer 1

PyWin32 is the way to go - but how to use it? One approach is to begin with a concrete problem you're having and attempting to solve it. PyWin32 provides bindings for the Win32 API functions for which there are many, and you really have to pick a specific goal first.

In my Python 2.5 installation (ActiveState on Windows) the win32 package has a Demos folder packed with sample code of various parts of the library.

For example, here's CopyFileEx.py:

import win32file, win32api import os   def ProgressRoutine(TotalFileSize, TotalBytesTransferred, StreamSize, StreamBytesTransferred,     StreamNumber, CallbackReason, SourceFile, DestinationFile, Data):     print Data     print TotalFileSize, TotalBytesTransferred, StreamSize, StreamBytesTransferred, StreamNumber, CallbackReason, SourceFile, DestinationFile     ##if TotalBytesTransferred > 100000:     ##    return win32file.PROGRESS_STOP     return win32file.PROGRESS_CONTINUE  temp_dir=win32api.GetTempPath() fsrc=win32api.GetTempFileName(temp_dir,'cfe')[0] fdst=win32api.GetTempFileName(temp_dir,'cfe')[0] print fsrc, fdst  f=open(fsrc,'w') f.write('xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx\n'*32768) f.close() ## add a couple of extra data streams f=open(fsrc+':stream_y','w') f.write('yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy\n'*32768) f.close() f=open(fsrc+':stream_z','w') f.write('zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz\n'*32768) f.close()  operation_desc='Copying '+fsrc+' to '+fdst win32file.CopyFileEx(fsrc, fdst, ProgressRoutine, operation_desc, False,   win32file.COPY_FILE_RESTARTABLE) 

It shows how to use the CopyFileEx function with a few others (such as GetTempPath and GetTempFileName). From this example you can get a "general feel" of how to work with this library.

Answer 2

PyWin32, as mentioned by @chaos, is probably the most popular choice; the alternative is ctypes which is part of Python's standard library. For example, print ctypes.windll.kernel32.GetModuleHandleA(None) will show the module-handle of the current module (EXE or DLL). A more extensive example of using ctypes to get at win32 APIs is here.