Python for low-level Windows programming

[haxier]

Hi all

I've some experience with Python in desktop apps, but now I'm looking
to code a tool like Kee-Pass[1] which must have access to some low-
level primitives in a windows environment: hooks when windows are
displayed, automatic form fill, and so on in a variety of scenarios
(desktop apps, web-based apps, citrix...)

Is this possible without too much pain? I know I can code it with C#
or C++ but tha'ts a road to avoid, if possible.

Thanks

[1] http://sourceforge.net/projects/keepass

 

[Tim Golden]

I've some experience with Python in desktop apps, but now I'm looking
to code a tool like Kee-Pass[1] which must have access to some low-
level primitives in a windows environment: hooks when windows are
displayed, automatic form fill, and so on in a variety of scenarios
(desktop apps, web-based apps, citrix...)

Is this possible without too much pain? I know I can code it with C#
or C++ but tha'ts a road to avoid, if possible.

Well of course I don't know exactly what you'd need, but the
answer's certainly Yes In short, even native Python comes
with the ctypes module which will let you call -- with only
a little working out the structures -- into any Windows DLL
or COM interface (the latter via the comtypes extension).

But in any case the pywin32 packages and various other
open source projects have already done a lot of the work
for you. Plus it's easy enough to write your own extension
which does the dirty work in C and exposes it to Python as
functions, objects or whatever suits your purposes.

Good luck!

TJG

 

[Troels Thomsen]

Well of course I don't know exactly what you'd need, but the
answer's certainly Yes

Need I mention that it is also easy to write a windows service, using
pyservice (i think ...) and ½ a page of python source

tpt