If you're asking how to portably manipulate path names, File::Spec is the answer. I'm not sure what you mean by needing to "massage the strings into shape" - could you give us an example? Perhaps you haven't found the right method to make things easier.
Update: I missed the emphasis on relative path names in the OP. To build upon my original answer, note that File::Spec has two methods that you might find useful: abs2rel and rel2abs.
In reply to Re: Path strings
by bobf
in thread Path strings
by Anonymous Monk
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