AbiWord is a word processing application optimized for the GNOME desktop.
Start AbiWord by clicking on Applications > Office > AbiWord in GNOME or the Kickoff Application Launcher > Applications > Office > Word Processor menu entry for AbiWord in KDE.
The functions of the top menu are:
File
lets you create New documents, New using a Template, Open and Import Files, Save and Revert a file, Page Setup and Print, Close a file, or Quit the application. This menu will also show a list of recently opened files.
Edit
allows you to Undo,Redo, Cut, Copy,and Paste, Clear, Select All, to Remove Headers and Footers, Find and Replace, Goto and to change the Preferences.
View
lets you select the type of Layout, Toolbars, Ruler and Status Bar, Enable Formatting Tools, Show Formatting Marks, view a Presentation, Full Screen and Zoom in and out.
Insert
lets you insert Breaks, Page Numbers, Date and Time, Fields, Text Box, Mail Merge Field, Symbols, Headers and Footers, Files, Bookmarks, Hyperlinks, Table of Contents, Footnotes, Endnotes, Equations, Clip Art, Pictures. Objects such as GNOME Office Charts, and Direction Markers.
Format
lets you format Fonts, Paragraphs, add Bullets and Numbering, Text Box, Images, Columns, Tabs, Headers/Footers, Footnotes and Endnotes, Table of Contents. You can also Align and Format text, add a Page Background and Create and Modify Styles.
Tools
lets you Check Spelling, Set the Language, Word Count, access the Thesaurus, GDict Dictionary, Translators, Edit an Image via GIMP, Google Search, Summarize the document, URL Dictionary, Wiki Encyclopedia change style with the Stylist, access the Document History and Revisions. You can also see the installed Plug-ins and install new ones, execute helper Scripts that you have created, and perform Mail Merge.
Table
allows you to Insert, Delete, Select, and manipulate the table's Cells. You can also format and merge a table's Cells, Rows and Columns, Convert Text to a Table, Convert a Table to Text and turn on Autofit Table.
Collaborate
lets you Share a Document or Documents and manage the collaboration Accounts.
Documents
lets you open a New Window that lists any open documents.
Help
opens Help Contents, Search for Help, Check for Updates, Report a Bug, and see general information About GNOME Office and About AbiWord.
The row of icons under the top menu bar contains the most frequently used functions that are listed in the top menu.
The third menu panel allows you to configure the appearance of your text, such as font selection, alignment, font, bullets, indentations, bolding, and italics.
The panel at the bottom of the document contains a window that shows the number of pages in the document and which page is currently displayed, an indicator that Type-Over or Insert is turned on, page layout view, and language in use.
