The Files.readAllLines(path) already uses UTF-8 (see the linked documentation). If you're using the Files.readAllLines(path, charset) variant, well, pass UTF-8 as the charset, of course (for example by using StandardCharsets.UTF_8).
Assuming you're using either the short version or passing UTF-8, then the error lies not with java, but with your setup.
Either the file doesn't contain ≤ in UTF-8, or you're printing it in java to a place that doesn't show such symbols (for example, because your font doesn't have it, and uses ? as the placeholder symbol for 'I do not have this symbol in my font file'; it's more usually a box symbol), or you're sending the output someplace that incorrectly presumes that what is sent is not UTF-8.
Answer from rzwitserloot on Stack OverflowVideos
The Files.readAllLines(path) already uses UTF-8 (see the linked documentation). If you're using the Files.readAllLines(path, charset) variant, well, pass UTF-8 as the charset, of course (for example by using StandardCharsets.UTF_8).
Assuming you're using either the short version or passing UTF-8, then the error lies not with java, but with your setup.
Either the file doesn't contain ≤ in UTF-8, or you're printing it in java to a place that doesn't show such symbols (for example, because your font doesn't have it, and uses ? as the placeholder symbol for 'I do not have this symbol in my font file'; it's more usually a box symbol), or you're sending the output someplace that incorrectly presumes that what is sent is not UTF-8.
The static method of File class e.i
public static List<String> readAllLines(Path path) throws IOException
is read all the lines from a file. The bytes from the file are decoded into characters using the UTF-8 charset. This method invoking equivalent to evaluating the expression:
Files.readAllLines(path, StandardCharsets.UTF_8)
It may be possible that the file contains some garbage or something out of format of UTF-8 charset. Check the text inside files once manually :p