Java.Streams.What is a “symbolic link”?

A symbolic link is a special file that points to another file or directory. Think of it like a shortcut or alias.

• It doesn’t hold the actual data
• It just contains a reference (a path) to the real file or folder

📌 Example

Let’s say you have:

/home/stanley/documents/report.txt

You create a symbolic link:

/home/stanley/report_link.txt → points to → /home/stanley/documents/report.txt

Now, if you open or read from report_link.txt, it behaves just like the original file.

✅ Key Characteristics

Feature	Description
Type	A special file that links to another
Can link to	Files or directories
Works across	File systems (unlike hard links)
Can break	If the target file is deleted or moved
In Java?	Supported via java.nio.file.Path + Files.createSymbolicLink()

🔁 Symbolic Link vs Hard Link

Feature	Symbolic Link	Hard Link
Points to	Path (name)	Inode (actual data)
Cross-partition?	✅ Yes	❌ No
Detectable?	✅ Yes (isSymbolicLink)	❌ Appears like original
Breaks if target removed?	✅ Yes	❌ No (file stays)

🧪 Symbolic Links in Java (NIO)

import java.nio.file.*;

public class SymlinkDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        Path target = Paths.get("real_file.txt");
        Path link = Paths.get("shortcut.txt");

        Files.createSymbolicLink(link, target);

        System.out.println("Symlink created: " + link + " → " + target);
    }
}

Check if a file is a symlink:

Files.isSymbolicLink(Paths.get("shortcut.txt"));

🧵 TL;DR

Concept	Symbolic Link
What is it?	A file that points to another file/directory
Also called	symlink, soft link
Breaks if target deleted?	✅ Yes
Cross-filesystem support?	✅ Yes
Java support?	✅ Since Java 7 (java.nio.file)