Im trying to communicate with a windows application with python. Need to fill in text fields and retrieve results (which are also displayed in text fields). 
Currently using PywinAuto, works perfectly but its too slow for my purpose. Filling in 6 textfields and pressing two buttons takes 2 to 3 seconds... Im looking for a way to speed this up.
What is the fastest way to control and retrieve data from a windows application, that is feasible for a beginner in Python?
Thanks in advance.
This is very difficult. PywinAuto is one of the best ways to handle this kind of problem, but you have to be very careful about which Windows application you are working with. This is because not every Windows application will "publish"  it's controls in a reliable way for you to automate. This is particularly true of Mozilla Firefox. However, the Microsoft Office suite does consistently publish just about every control and button on each of its interfaces that I have ever seen. Thus, the real problem is not with PywinAuto, or even with Windows, it is with whoever wrote the application you are trying to automate and whether or not they reliably publish the interfaces you were trying to control.
The other question you have to ask yourself is how you are populating the text fields and what is actually taking the time. Filling in fields and buttons should take a fraction of a second if they are independently workable. Otherwise, there is probably something else going on that you should investigate.
Good luck. This is a really tough problem.
Python: communicating with window application