imessagefilter

A python package implements interface IMessageFilter for COM


Keywords
COM, IMessageFilter
License
MIT
Install
pip install imessagefilter==0.1.3

Documentation

IMessageFilter

A python package implements interface IMessageFilter for COM.

The main purpose is to fix 'Application is Busy' and 'Call was Rejected By Callee' errors in a WINDOWS COM/COM+ client.

Here is a workaround

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/ms228772(v=vs.140)

But it's written by C#, this package offers both C and Python versions.

Usage

Install it:

pip install imessagefilter

Import CMessageFilter from imessagefilter

Call static method register at the beginning of automation

Call static method revoke at the end of work

Here it's an example:

from comtypes.client import CreateObject
from imessagefilter import CMessageFilter

def iter_excel_sheets(filename):
    CMessageFilter.register()
    aobj = CreateObject('Excel.Application', dynamic=True)
    aobj.Workbooks.Open(filename)
    for sheet in aobj.ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets:
        print('Processing %s' % sheet.Name)
    CMessageFilter.revoke()

Note

The interface IMessageFilter only works in single-threaded apartments, it will not be called in the multithreaded apartments.

Refer to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/com/choosing-the-threading-model

Build msgfilter.dll

By visual studio command line:

cl /LD msgfilter.c ole32.lib

By mingw32 in cygwin:

i686-pc-mingw32-gcc -shared -o msgfilter.dll msgfilter.c -lole32 -luuid

There are 2 export functions, they can be used in any c file.

Here it's an exmaple:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <objbase.h>

extern void register_message_filter();
extern void revoke_message_filter();

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
  HRESULT ret;
  ret = CoInitializeEx(0, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED);
  register_message_filter();

  // do something for automation

  revoke_message_filter();
  CoUninitialize();

  return 0;
}

Change Logs

0.2.1

  • Search msgfilter.dll in the current path first

0.1.3

  • Fix no long description in package information

0.1.2

  • Fix typos