AbiWord General Information

About AbiWord About Open Source Index Contents What's New Check Version Introduction Installation Getting Started The Workspace Entering Text Formatting Edit Commands Paragraphs Styles Inserting Objects Printing Preferences Shortcuts abisource.com FAQ Credits Search |  | ### Terminology AbiWord's graphic interface is based on elements from Windows and Linux. Because of this, it is strongly recommended to use a mouse in order to increase the ease of use of AbiWord. The mouse appears on the screen as a pointer. Depending on the pointers position, it will appear in several different forms:
| On an active zone (icons, buttons...), inactive or in the margin of a document.
| When the pointer is on a page of a document.
| When the system is busy.
| When manipulating an image.
| When moving an image. (not yet available)
Here are the various possible actions of the mouse:
Pointer: | To move the mouse pointer to a precise place .
Click: | Press the left button of themouse once.
Double click: | Rapidly click on left button of the mouse twice.
Right Click: | Press the right button of the mouse once.
Drag n' Drop | Press and hold the left mouse button and move it to the desired place.
### Moving the cursor The cursor is a small vertical line, |which appears on the document. To move it using the mouse: Left click on the screen where you wish to move the cursor to. Moving the cursor with the keyboard:
Right | Press the right arrow
Left | Press the left arrow
Up | Press the up arrow
Down | Press the down arrow
Go to beginning of the line | Press Home
Go to the end of the line | Press End
Move right one word | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and the Right arrow;
Move left one word | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and the Left arrow
Go to the top | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and the Up arrow
Go to the bottom | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and the Down arrow
Go up a screen | Press PageUp
Go down a screen | Press PageDown
Go to the start of the page | Simultaneouly press Ctrl, Alt and PageUp
Go to the end of the page | Simultaneouly press Ctrl, Alt and PageDown
Go to the top of the preceding page | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and PageUp
Go to the bottom of the preceding page | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and PageDown
Go to the start of the document | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and PageUp
Go to the end of the document | Simultaneouly press Ctrl and PageDown
### Selecting text or an object To format the document it is often necessary to select parts of it. Here is how to select using the mouse: A word: Point at the beginning of the word, then drag it over to the end of the word; or Double click on the word. A line: Point to the beginning of the line, then drag it over to the end of the line; or Click in the margin to the left of the line. A paragraph: Point at the beginning of the paragraph and drag the mouse pointer to the end of the paragraph or Double click in the margin. Several lines: Point at the beginning of the first line then drag the pointer to the end of the last line. An object (an image) Click on the object (not available in the latest version of AbiWord) The whole document: Go to Edit on the menu and click "Select all" Selecting text:
One character to the left | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" key and hit the left arrow
One character to the right | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" key and hit the right arrow
One line up | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" key and hit the up arrow
One line down | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" key and hit the down arrow
To the beginning of the line | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" key and hit the "Home" key
To the end of the line | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" key and hit the "End" key
To the beginning of the document | Simultaneously hold down the "Shift" and "Ctrl" keys and hit the "Home" key
To the end of the document | Simultaneously hold down the "Majuscules" and "Ctrl" keys and hit the "End" key
The whole document | Simultaneously hold down the "Ctrl" key and hit "A"