Message: 5 Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 13:18:40 -0800 From: Tim Roberts <t...@probo.com> To: Python-Win32 List <python-win32@python.org> Subject: Re: [python-win32] Using os.startfile() for automation Message-ID: <4d4b1bb0.8070...@probo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
>>Ah, so you're saying you CAN execute the second os.startfile, but the >>application opens them both in the same instance? Yes. >>However, it's still up to the application to decide whether it will >>handle that in one instance or two. When I use launch the app from Start -> All Program -> Program Folder -> ProgramName.exe another instance opens. I guess I can just iterate over the list of files to open, then launch a new instance for each file (within limits), as opposed to using os.startfile() >>owever, it would probably be smarter to see if the application can be automated through COM. I've tried using PyWin32's COM Browser but will only use COM as a last resort. This app doesn't appear to be registered as a COM server. I've had COM servers hang on me in the past, and since the app is written by a 3rd party who wants $$ for support, I'll stay far away from COM. >>That way, you're in complete control of the operation. Only if the COM server is solid. Older versions of Excel can easily be crashed via COM, although my app isn't Excel in this case. >>Alternatively, you can use CreateProcess through the API to launch the >>application. That way, you get a process handle that you can control. This only helps me launch the app, I still need a way to manipulate the menus, to start the File -> Save As ... step > Once the application is open, I just want to use File Save As Text, to > get the data into a text file. > Python's app-automation capabilities are kinda weak and not well > documented, so I may resort to AutoIt3. >>That's a ridiculous complaint. Languages do not have "app automation >>capabilities". Scuze me. I should have said "The python automation packages" (pywinauto, watsup, pywingui, etc) ... One could argue whether AutoIt3 is a language or a framework, but its existence is for automating other applications. I'd much rather use python, but the api in pywinauto is maddening. >>keystrokes using the API, exactly like you would if you were writing this in C. Well, I still wouldn't know how to do this in C, which is why I looked into the python automation packages.
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