RFR: 8366102: Clarification Needed: Symbolic Link Handling in File API Specifications

[Brian Burkhalter]

On Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:01:51 GMT, Brian Burkhalter <bpb at openjdk.org> wrote:

> Attempt to improve the verbiage of the `java.io.File` specification to make it clearer whether a given method operates only on an abstract pathname or on the actual file system entry it denotes.

1. Append a sentence to the extant class level sentence about symbolic links.
2. Modify the verbiage of some methods so as to differentiate "abstract pathname" from "file or directory denoted by this abstract pathname", the latter implying an actual file system entry.
3. Add an API Note to `compareTo` similar to the note already on `equals`.

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PR Comment: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/27006#issuecomment-3237351947