To create a new AbiWord file, select New from the File menu or select the Create a New Document from a template button on the Standard Toolbar. If you do this in the AbiWord program you can enter a filename and location and select a ``template'' for the new file.
A template is a document design that you can use as a starting point for new documents. The template can include text, paragraph styles and page layout information. When you create a new document using a template, AbiWord copies the information in the template into the new file which you can then change as you require. For example, you can use the Fax coversheet template to create a fax . You can select from a number of standard templates. When you open a document using a particular template, you then work on a document based on the template; you don't change the template itself.
When you edit an AbiWord file you are actually working on a copy of the file stored in memory. When you close AbiWord this file is automatically saved to disk. To save a file using a different name, or in a different folder, select the Save as command from the File menu.
When you are working on a file, an asterisk will appear at the end of the file name to remind you to save your data.
You can undo all changes since the last "save" by selecting Undo from the Edit Menu or select the Save command from the File menu. Redo is the opposite of Undo and Redoes an action.