Author: Lou Adler

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 call 
WNetGetUniversalName. 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 
that should work if you're in NT:

1   function GetUNCName(PathStr: string): string;
2   var
3     bufSize: DWord;
4     buf: TUniversalNameInfo;
5     msg: string;
6   begin
7     bufSize := SizeOf(TUniversalNameInfo);
8     if (WNetGetUniversalName(PChar(PathStr), UNIVERSAL_NAME_INFO_LEVEL,
9       buf, bufSize) > 0) then
10      case GetLastError of
11        ERROR_BAD_DEVICE: msg := 'ERROR_BAD_DEVICE';
12        ERROR_CONNECTION_UNAVAIL: msg := 'ERROR_CONNECTION_UNAVAIL';
13        ERROR_EXTENDED_ERROR: msg := 'ERROR_EXTENDED_ERROR';
14        ERROR_MORE_DATA: msg := 'ERROR_MORE_DATA';
15        ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED: msg := 'ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED';
16        ERROR_NO_NET_OR_BAD_PATH: msg := 'ERROR_NO_NET_OR_BAD_PATH';
17        ERROR_NO_NETWORK: msg := 'ERROR_NO_NETWORK';
18        ERROR_NOT_CONNECTED: msg := 'ERROR_NOT_CONNECTED';
19      end
20    else
21      msg := buf.lpUniversalName;
22  
23    Result := msg;
24  end;