Question:
For file-based applications, how is the Universal Naming Convention obtained for path names?

Answer:
To get the UNC name of a drive-based path, use the Windows API callWNetGetUniversalName. This function takes a drive-based path (i.e.,fully qualified file name) and returns its UNC equivalent.

Be forewarned,though: This call is not supported by Windows 95. Here’s something thatshould work if you’re in NT:

function GetUNCName(PathStr : String) : String;var  bufSize : DWord;  buf : TUniversalNameInfo;  msg : String;begin  bufSize := SizeOf(TUniversalNameInfo);  if (WNetGetUniversalName(PChar(PathStr), UNIVERSAL_NAME_INFO_LEVEL,       buf, bufSize) > 0) then    case GetLastError of      ERROR_BAD_DEVICE	      : msg := ‘ERROR_BAD_DEVICE’;      ERROR_CONNECTION_UNAVAIL: msg := ‘ERROR_CONNECTION_UNAVAIL’;      ERROR_EXTENDED_ERROR    : msg := ‘ERROR_EXTENDED_ERROR’;      ERROR_MORE_DATA	      : msg := ‘ERROR_MORE_DATA’;      ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED     : msg := ‘ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED’;      ERROR_NO_NET_OR_BAD_PATH: msg := ‘ERROR_NO_NET_OR_BAD_PATH’;      ERROR_NO_NETWORK	      : msg := ‘ERROR_NO_NETWORK’;      ERROR_NOT_CONNECTED     : msg := ‘ERROR_NOT_CONNECTED’;    end  else    msg := buf.lpUniversalName;    Result := msg;  end;

Play around with this and see what you come up with.