Here's a very simple java program to print the first line of a file:

import java.io.*
public class test {
  public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
    System.out.print(new BufferedReader(new FileReader(args[0])).readLine());
  }
}

When I run this program under cygwin and pass it the name of a symbolic link, it prints the contents of the symbolic link, not the target of that link:

$ echo foo > testfile
$ ln -s testfile symlink_to_testfile
$ java test testfile
foo
$ java test symlink_to_testfile
!<symlink> ?t e s t f i l e

How do I convince java to follow the symlink? I was hoping there was something simpler than implementing the redirect myself.