Win32 - how do I execute a shell command?

[Paul Moore]

I have a Python script I want to execute and obtaing the stdout. In
XEmacs, I can do so simply using

    (shell-command-to-string (expand-file-name "~/fortune.py"))

This doesn't work in Gnu Emacs, basically because expand-file-name
returns filenames with *forward* slashes, which the shell doesn't
like.

OK, I could do a global replace of / with \, but that seems like a
hack. Is there a "expand file name in Win32 native format" (ie, with
backslashes) function?

Thanks,
Paul
-- 
A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation -- Saki