diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/expression.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/expression.hpp
index c614860881..1f4496a81f 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/expression.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/expression.hpp
@@ -3053,7 +3053,7 @@ namespace detail {
             {
                 auto callback = [&result](const path_node_type& pathp, reference)
                 {
-                    result.emplace_back(to_jsonpath(pathp)); 
+                    result.emplace_back(to_basic_string(pathp)); 
                 };
                 evaluate(resources, root, path, instance, callback, options);
             }
diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_location.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_location.hpp
index 2ad8a391ce..b20eadfed0 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_location.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_location.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <jsoncons/config/jsoncons_config.hpp>
+#include <jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_utilities.hpp>
 
 namespace jsoncons { 
 namespace jsonpath { 
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
         }
     };
 
-    template <class CharT, class Allocator = std::allocator<char>>
+    template <class CharT, class Allocator = std::allocator<CharT>>
     class basic_json_location
     {
     public:
@@ -330,11 +331,51 @@ namespace jsonpath {
         return found ? p_current : nullptr;
     }
 
+    template <class CharT, class Allocator = std::allocator<CharT>>
+    std::basic_string<CharT, std::char_traits<CharT>, Allocator> to_basic_string(const basic_json_location<CharT,Allocator>& location, 
+        const Allocator& alloc = Allocator())
+    {
+        std::basic_string<CharT, std::char_traits<CharT>, Allocator> buffer(alloc);
+
+        buffer.push_back('$');
+        for (const auto& element : location)
+        {
+            if (element.has_name())
+            {
+                buffer.push_back('[');
+                buffer.push_back('\'');
+                jsoncons::jsonpath::escape_string(element.name().data(), element.name().size(), buffer);
+                buffer.push_back('\'');
+                buffer.push_back(']');
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                buffer.push_back('[');
+                jsoncons::detail::from_integer(element.index(), buffer);
+                buffer.push_back(']');
+            }
+        }
+
+        return buffer;
+    }
+
     using json_location = basic_json_location<char>;
     using wjson_location = basic_json_location<wchar_t>;
     using path_element = basic_path_element<char,std::allocator<char>>;
     using wpath_element = basic_path_element<wchar_t,std::allocator<char>>;
 
+    inline
+    std::string to_string(const json_location& location)
+    {
+        return to_basic_string(location);
+    }
+
+    inline
+    std::wstring to_wstring(const wjson_location& location)
+    {
+        return to_basic_string(location);
+    }
+
 } // namespace jsonpath
 } // namespace jsoncons
 
diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_query.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_query.hpp
index 029b448aa2..b4323cc8e8 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_query.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/json_query.hpp
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
 
         auto f = [&callback](const path_node_type& path, reference val)
         {
-            callback(to_jsonpath(path), val);
+            callback(to_basic_string(path), val);
         };
         expr.evaluate_with_replacement(resources, instance, path_node_type{}, instance, f);
     }
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
 
         auto f = [&callback](const path_node_type& path, reference val)
         {
-            callback(to_jsonpath(path), val);
+            callback(to_basic_string(path), val);
         };
         expr.evaluate_with_replacement(resources, instance, path_node_type{}, instance, f);
     }
diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expr.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expr.hpp
index e60e968428..fa53acf99e 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expr.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expr.hpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
                 value_type result(json_array_arg, semantic_tag::none, alloc_);
                 auto callback = [&result](const path_node_type& p, reference)
                 {
-                    result.emplace_back(to_jsonpath(p));
+                    result.emplace_back(to_basic_string(p));
                 };
                 expr_.evaluate(resources, instance, path_node_type(), instance, callback, options);
                 return result;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
     };
 
     template <class Json>
-    auto make_jsonpath_expr(const typename Json::string_view_type& path,
+    auto compile_jsonpath(const typename Json::string_view_type& path,
         const jsoncons::jsonpath::custom_functions<typename jsonpath_traits<Json>::value_type>& funcs = jsoncons::jsonpath::custom_functions<typename jsonpath_traits<Json>::value_type>())
     {
         using jsonpath_traits_type = jsoncons::jsonpath::jsonpath_traits<Json>;
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
     }
 
     template <class Json, class TempAllocator>
-    auto make_jsonpath_expr(const allocator_set<typename Json::allocator_type,TempAllocator>& alloc_set,
+    auto compile_jsonpath(const allocator_set<typename Json::allocator_type,TempAllocator>& alloc_set,
         const typename Json::string_view_type& path,
         const jsoncons::jsonpath::custom_functions<typename jsonpath_traits<Json>::value_type>& funcs, std::error_code& ec)
     {
diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp
index 507f187a8c..a2424c3cc3 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/jsonpath_expression.hpp
@@ -2543,7 +2543,7 @@ namespace detail {
             jsoncons::jsonpath::detail::dynamic_resources<Json,reference> resources{alloc_};
             auto f = [&callback](const path_node_type& path, reference val)
             {
-                callback(to_jsonpath(path), val);
+                callback(to_basic_string(path), val);
             };
             expr_.evaluate(resources, instance, path_node_type{}, instance, f, options);
         }
@@ -2557,7 +2557,7 @@ namespace detail {
                 Json result(json_array_arg, semantic_tag::none, alloc_);
                 auto callback = [&result](const path_node_type& path, reference)
                 {
-                    result.emplace_back(to_jsonpath(path));
+                    result.emplace_back(to_basic_string(path));
                 };
                 expr_.evaluate(resources, instance, path_node_type(), instance, callback, options);
                 return result;
diff --git a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/path_node.hpp b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/path_node.hpp
index 3b3b3b216e..5622855e57 100644
--- a/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/path_node.hpp
+++ b/include/jsoncons_ext/jsonpath/path_node.hpp
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ namespace jsonpath {
     }
 
     template <class CharT, class Allocator=std::allocator<CharT>>
-    std::basic_string<CharT,std::char_traits<CharT>,Allocator> to_jsonpath(const basic_path_node<CharT>& path, const Allocator& alloc=Allocator())
+    std::basic_string<CharT,std::char_traits<CharT>,Allocator> to_basic_string(const basic_path_node<CharT>& path, const Allocator& alloc=Allocator())
     {
         std::basic_string<CharT,std::char_traits<CharT>,Allocator> buffer(alloc);
 
@@ -319,34 +319,6 @@ namespace jsonpath {
         return buffer;
     }
 
-    template <class CharT, class Allocator = std::allocator<CharT>>
-    std::basic_string<CharT, std::char_traits<CharT>, Allocator> to_jsonpath(const basic_json_location<CharT,Allocator>& location, 
-        const Allocator& alloc = Allocator())
-    {
-        std::basic_string<CharT, std::char_traits<CharT>, Allocator> buffer(alloc);
-
-        buffer.push_back('$');
-        for (const auto& element : location)
-        {
-            if (element.has_name())
-            {
-                buffer.push_back('[');
-                buffer.push_back('\'');
-                jsoncons::jsonpath::escape_string(element.name().data(), element.name().size(), buffer);
-                buffer.push_back('\'');
-                buffer.push_back(']');
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                buffer.push_back('[');
-                jsoncons::detail::from_integer(element.index(), buffer);
-                buffer.push_back(']');
-            }
-        }
-
-        return buffer;
-    }
-
     template <class CharT, class Allocator=std::allocator<char>>
     basic_json_location<CharT,Allocator> to_json_location(const basic_path_node<CharT>& path, const Allocator& alloc=Allocator())
     {
@@ -382,9 +354,22 @@ namespace jsonpath {
         return location;
     }
 
+
     using path_node = basic_path_node<char>;
     using wpath_node = basic_path_node<wchar_t>;
 
+    inline
+    std::string to_string(const path_node& path)
+    {
+        return to_basic_string(path);
+    }
+
+    inline
+    std::wstring to_wstring(const wpath_node& path)
+    {
+        return to_basic_string(path);
+    }
+
 } // namespace jsonpath
 } // namespace jsoncons
 
diff --git a/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_make_expression_tests.cpp b/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_make_expression_tests.cpp
index 3b061894fc..dd6fd39dfc 100644
--- a/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_make_expression_tests.cpp
+++ b/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_make_expression_tests.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ TEST_CASE("jsonpath make_expression test")
 
         const json doc = json::parse(input);
 
-        auto expr = jsoncons::jsonpath::make_jsonpath_expr<const json>("$.books[*]");
+        auto expr = jsoncons::jsonpath::compile_jsonpath<const json>("$.books[*]");
 
         auto callback = [&](const jsonpath::path_node& /*location*/, const json& book)
         {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ TEST_CASE("jsonpath make_expression test")
 
         json doc = json::parse(input);
 
-        auto expr = jsoncons::jsonpath::make_jsonpath_expr<json>("$.books[*]");
+        auto expr = jsoncons::jsonpath::compile_jsonpath<json>("$.books[*]");
 
         auto callback1 = [&](const jsonpath::path_node& /*location*/, const json& book)
         {
diff --git a/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_select_paths_tests.cpp b/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_select_paths_tests.cpp
index 4a42274373..87d607f342 100644
--- a/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_select_paths_tests.cpp
+++ b/test/jsonpath/src/jsonpath_select_paths_tests.cpp
@@ -50,12 +50,12 @@ TEST_CASE("jsonpath.jsonpath select_paths test")
 
     SECTION("test 1")
     {
-        auto expr = jsonpath::make_jsonpath_expr<json>("$..book[?(@.category == 'fiction')].title");
+        auto expr = jsonpath::compile_jsonpath<json>("$..book[?(@.category == 'fiction')].title");
         auto result = expr.select_paths(doc);
 
         for (const auto& loc : result)
         {
-            std::string s = jsonpath::to_jsonpath(loc);
+            std::string s = jsonpath::to_string(loc);
             std::cout << s << std::endl;
         }
 
diff --git a/test/jsonpath/src/path_node_tests.cpp b/test/jsonpath/src/path_node_tests.cpp
index 323d122a48..28ec3c2ede 100644
--- a/test/jsonpath/src/path_node_tests.cpp
+++ b/test/jsonpath/src/path_node_tests.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ TEST_CASE("test json_location equals")
     jsonpath::path_node b4(&b3,0);
 
     CHECK((a4 == b4));
-    CHECK((jsonpath::to_jsonpath(a4) == std::string("$['foo']['bar'][0]")));
+    CHECK((jsonpath::to_string(a4) == std::string("$['foo']['bar'][0]")));
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("test json_location with solidus to_string")
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ TEST_CASE("test json_location with solidus to_string")
     jsonpath::path_node a3(&a2,"bar");
     jsonpath::path_node a4(&a3,0);
 
-    CHECK(jsonpath::to_jsonpath(a4) == std::string(R"($['foo\'s']['bar'][0])"));
+    CHECK(jsonpath::to_string(a4) == std::string(R"($['foo\'s']['bar'][0])"));
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("test path_node less")
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ TEST_CASE("test to_json_location")
         std::string jsonpath_string = "$['foo']['bar'][7]";
 
         CHECK((jsonpath::to_json_location(a4) == location));
-        CHECK((jsonpath::to_jsonpath(location) == jsonpath_string));
+        CHECK((jsonpath::to_string(location) == jsonpath_string));
     }
 }