content: set pathToTextFile to ((path to desktop folder as string) & "testfile.txt")
  
  -- short way: open, read and close in one step
  set fileContent to read file pathToTextFile
  
  -- long way: open a file reference, read content and close access
  set fileRef to open for access pathToTextFile
  set fileContent to read fileRef
  close access fileRef
  