The File Menu

The File Menu is a list of actions that can be performed on whatever file you are working on. It is located at the top of the screen, almost in the top-left corner of the screen. You access this menu simply by clicking on the word "File."  When the menu appears, you can then click on whichever command you want.  Although the exact commands listed on the File menu vary, here are some common commands:

• New: Lets you start a new task.  Sometimes appears as "New Window," "New Document," "New Page," etc.
• Save: Lets you save your work on your computer.
• Open: Lets you open a file that you had previously saved.
• Page setup: Lets you control the layout of the page, such as Portrait/Landscape (vertical or horizontal), and if you want to zoom in our out, when you print your work.
• Print: Lets you print what you are working on.
• Close: Exits from whatever file you are working on.
• Quit (or Exit): Exits the application you are using.  This is different from "Close" because it is possible to close a file but still have the application open (especially if you are working on more than one file at a time).  On Apple computers, the "Quit" command is not in the File menu, but rather in the menu to the left of the "File" menu, which is labeled with the name of the application you are using (so in iTunes, it's the "iTunes" menu, in Word, it's the "Word" menu, etc.)

Some commands have an ellipsis (…) after them, such as Print….  This means that before the command can be performed, you have to choose certain options.  When you click on Print…, you are asked to choose how many copies you want to print, whether you only want to print certain pages, and which printer you want to use.

Also, some commands may be on the menu, but faded.  This means that the command can not be used in whatever situation you are in.

Example
Here is a picture of a File menu from iTunes:

Notice the different "New" commands, the "Close Window" command, and the "Page Setup…" and "Print…" commands.  Also, note how the "Get Info" and "Show in Finder" commands are faded.  This is because in order to use these commands, I have to have a particular song selected (so I can get its info or show it in the Finder).  Since I don't have a song selected, I can't use the commands.

Also, notice that the word "File" is highlighted—this indicates which menu you are looking at.  If you were looking at a different menu, say the "Edit" menu, then the word "Edit" would be highlighted.

Tomorrow: Windows and Tabs