Hi
Look at the reference
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/shellcc/platform/shell/reference/shlwapi/path/path.asp

There are very interesting and useful functions. I think they should be
realised in Clipper (FiveWin, Harbour).
As an example you can write and run the following C++ code (I used BCB 5.0 )

#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream.h>
#include <Shlwapi.h>
#include <conio.h>

#pragma hdrstop

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

#pragma argsused
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
using namespace std;

// Path_1 destination buffer.
char buffer_1[MAX_PATH] =
"JustABufferToHoldTheCanonicalizedPathForAnExample";
char *lpStr1;
lpStr1 = buffer_1;

// Path_2 to be Canonicalized.
char buffer_2[ ] = "A:\\name_1\\.\\name_2\\..\\name_3";
char *lpStr2;
lpStr2 = buffer_2;

// Path_3 to be Canonicalized.
char buffer_3[ ] = "A:\\name_1\\..\\name_2\\.\\name_3";
char *lpStr3;
lpStr3 = buffer_3;

// Path_4 to be Canonicalized.
char buffer_4[ ] = "A:\\name_1\\name_2\\.\\name_3\\..\\name_4";
char *lpStr4;
lpStr4 = buffer_4;

// Path_5 to be Canonicalized.
char buffer_5[ ] = "A:\\name_1\\.\\name_2\\.\\name_3\\..\\name_4\\..";
char *lpStr5;
lpStr5 = buffer_5;

// Path_6 to be Canonicalized.
char buffer_6[ ] = "C:\\..";
char *lpStr6;
lpStr6 = buffer_6;

cout << "The un-canonicalized path 2 is : " << lpStr2
<< "\nThe return value is : "
<< PathCanonicalize(lpStr1,lpStr2)
<< "\nThe canonicalized path 1 is : " << lpStr1 << endl;

cout << "\nThe un-canonicalized path 3 is : " << lpStr3
<< "\nThe return value is : "
<< PathCanonicalize(lpStr1,lpStr3)
<< "\nThe canonicalized path 1 is : " << lpStr1 << endl;

cout << "\nThe un-canonicalized path 4 is : " << lpStr4
<< "\nThe return value is : "
<< PathCanonicalize(lpStr1,lpStr4)
<< "\nThe canonicalized path 1 is : " << lpStr1 << endl;

cout << "\nThe un-canonicalized path 5 is : " << lpStr5
<< "\nThe return value is : "
<< PathCanonicalize(lpStr1,lpStr5)
<< "\nThe canonicalized path 1 is : " << lpStr1 << endl;

cout << "\nThe un-canonicalized path 6 is : " << lpStr6
<< "\nThe return value is : "
<< PathCanonicalize(lpStr1,lpStr6)
<< "\nThe canonicalized path 1 is : " << lpStr1 << endl;

cout << "\nPress any key to exit...";
getch();

return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Vladimir Grigoriev