void WorkWithSpecialFolder() {
   // Allocate a pointer to an Item ID list
   LPITEMIDLIST pidl;

   // Get a pointer to an item ID list that
   // represents the path of a special folder
   HRESULT hr = SHGetSpecialFolderLocation(NULL, CSIDL_PERSONAL, &pidl);

   // Convert the item ID list's binary
   // representation into a file system path
   char szPath[_MAX_PATH];
   BOOL f = SHGetPathFromIDList(pidl, szPath);

   // Allocate a pointer to an IMalloc interface
   LPMALLOC pMalloc;

   // Get the address of our task allocator's IMalloc interface
   hr = SHGetMalloc(&pMalloc);

   // Free the item ID list allocated by SHGetSpecialFolderLocation
   pMalloc->Free(pidl);

   // Free our task allocator
   pMalloc->Release();

   // Work with the special folder's path (contained in szPath)
			•
			•
			•
}

Figure 3   ShortPathToLongPath.cpp

 /******************************************************************************
 Module name: ShortPathToLongPath.cpp
 Written by:  Jeffrey Richter
 Notices:     Written 1997 by Jeffrey Richter
 ******************************************************************************/
 
 #include <Windows.h>
 #include <ShlObj.h>
 #include <wchar.h>
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 int WINAPI WinMain (HINSTANCE hinst, HINSTANCE hintPrev, LPSTR pszCmdLine, 
                     int nCmdShow) {
    int nNumArgs = 0;
    LPWSTR pszShortPathNameW = CommandLineToArgvW(GetCommandLineW(), 
                                                  &nNumArgs)[1];
 
    LPSHELLFOLDER psfDesktop = NULL;
    ULONG chEaten = 0;
    LPITEMIDLIST pidlShellItem = NULL;
    WCHAR szLongPath[_MAX_PATH] = { 0 };
 
    // Get the Desktop's shell folder interface
    HRESULT hr = SHGetDesktopFolder(&psfDesktop);
 
    // Request an ID list (relative to the desktop) for the short pathname
    hr = psfDesktop->ParseDisplayName(NULL, NULL, pszShortPathNameW, &chEaten, 
                                      &pidlShellItem, NULL);
    psfDesktop->Release();  // Release the desktop's IShellFolder
    
    if (FAILED(hr)) {
 
       // If we couldn't get an ID list for short pathname, it must not exist.      
       lstrcpyW(szLongPath, L"Error: Path not found!");
 
    } else {
 
       // We did get an ID list, convert it to a long pathname
       SHGetPathFromIDListW(pidlShellItem, szLongPath);
 
       // Free the ID list allocated by ParseDisplayName
       LPMALLOC pMalloc = NULL;
       SHGetMalloc(&pMalloc);
       pMalloc->Free(pidlShellItem);
       pMalloc->Release();
    }
 
    // Display short pathname in caption and the long pathname in the box.
    MessageBox(NULL, szLongPath, pszShortPathNameW, MB_OK);
 
    return(0);
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////// End of File /////////////////////////////////

Figure 4   DllMain

 BOOL DllMain(HINSTANCE hinstDLL, DWORD fdwReason, BOOL fImpLoad) {
    BOOL fInitializeOk = TRUE;  // Assume successful initialization
 
    switch (fdwReason) {
       case DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH:
          if (fImpLoad) {
             // DLL is being loaded at process load time.
             // The primary thread is executing this code
             // No other threads exist in this process at this time.
          } else {
             // DLL is being loaded because LoadLibrary was called.
             // This code is being executed by any thread in the process. We 
            // don't know how many threads are already running in this process.
             fInitializeOk = FALSE;  // Fail the DLL's initialization
          }
          break;
 
       case DLL_PROCESS_DETACH:
          if (fImpLoad) {
             // DLL is being unloaded because the process is terminating.
          } else {
             // DLL is being unloaded because FreeLibrary was called.
          }
          break;
 
       case DLL_THREAD_ATTACH:
          // Do any per-thread initialization here.
          break;
 
       case DLL_THREAD_DETACH:
          // Do any per-thread cleanup here.
          break;
    }
    return(fInitializeOk);
 }