Help with Automator to copy text from multiple files

Question

Hello,
I'm new to automator and applescript but it seems like what I'm trying to accomplish is fairly easy.
I'd like to run a workflow that will open a text file, copy the contents, paste the contents into a given application and then take a screenshot.
I'd like to be able to do this for several hundred text files.
I've tried with a Service but can't figure out how to provide the text input after "Get Specified Finder Items".
Get Specified Finder Items --> Get Contents of TextEdit Document --> Copy to Clipboard --> results in no data.

Answer 1

You'll need to use Applescript (you could use the Automator Run Applescript Action).
set recipientAddress to do shell script "cat <filename.txt>"
set theSubject to "Type your subject here!"
set theContent to "Type your message content here!"
tell application "Mail"
  activate
          set theMessage to make new outgoing message with properties {subject:theSubject, content:theContent, visible:true}
          tell theMessage
  make new to recipient with properties {address:recipientAddress}
  -- Uncomment send to Send the Message:
  -- send
          end tell
end tell