# Python COM Extensions Readme

This is the new readme for win32com.

The release notes is where we do a poor job of keeping a list of significant enhancements and changes.

Using Python and COM is targeted at Python programmers, while Python COM Implementation documentation is targeted at people who wish to extend the core C++ framework.

The win32com reference is a set of documentation automatically generated from the win32com sources. This contains documentation on the individual classes, and is targeted at advanced win32com users.

The win32com\test directory contains some interesting scripts. Although these are used for testing, they do show a variety of COM techniques.

### Known bugs and problems...

Certain servers may hang at shutdown if all COM client objects not released - notably, MSOffice. Eg, if a Python program that is talking to excel raises an exception and exits, the Python program will be hung. There are no known leaks in win32com, but there is also no attempt at automatic object cleanup. All standard Python caveats about references apply!

Dispatch (or automation) support does not correctly support a class hierarchy. Eg, if one Dispatch interface derives from another Dispatch interface, the base class will not be accessible. This can be fixed by using makepy, and hand-editing the output to reflect the hierarchy.

### ActiveX Scripting

This release contains full support for Python as an ActiveX Scripting Engine and Host. Check out the ActiveX Scripting Demos (which includes information on registering the engine) and for those who would like to know how it hangs together, see the ActiveX Scripting Manual

This version has been tested with Internet Explorer 3 and 4beta2, and Internet Information Server version 4beta2. Some of the test and sample scripts don’t work in this release, but the core engine does!