# Overview

Several preferences which relate to &gnum; as a whole can be configured and will affect the appearance and behaviour of the program every time it is run. These preferences can be set by the user.

&gnum; provides a main preference configuration panel which allows users to configure fundamental properties of the program including the font used within the spreadsheet, the type of file generated when a workbook is saved, default settings for the tools and the 'undo' mechanism, as well as several fundamental properties of the program, such as the pixel pitch of the display, which require advanced knowledge to understand. sect-configuration-preferences explains how to alter these preferences.

The toolbars can also be configured by being hidden from view. This allows &gnum; to be fit into a smaller space. sect-configuration-toolbars explains how to hide or show each toolbar.

Much of the functionality of &gnum; is provided through the plugin mechanism. Individual plugins can be disabled to save memory space or when the plugin computer code is being altered. sect-configuration-plugins explains how to disable and re-enable &gnum; plugins.

&gnum; is designed to be used around the globe and therefore allows the use to determine the language for the menus and to determine location specific information such as the character used to separate whole numbers from fractional units. These language and locale settings are explained in sect-configuration-localization.