Working with Documents
Create or Open a Document
Colonnes works with document files stored on your computer. When you launch the app, you can create a new document or open an existing one from your computer.
Use New File when you want to start from scratch, and Open when you want to continue working on an existing document. By default, when you launch the app, it reopens the last document you had open.
Automatic Saving
Colonnes saves your work automatically after every change. You do not need to press a save button or remember keyboard shortcuts to protect your edits during normal use.
When Colonnes writes a document, it first saves to a temporary file next to the target file and then renames that temporary file into place. If the app or the machine crashes during the save, the target file should not be left half-written.
Local Versions
Colonnes also keeps a hidden rolling history of recent document versions on your device inside the app’s local data folder. These versions are internal only:
- they are not shown in the UI
- Colonnes does not automatically restore them
- Colonnes does not fall back to them when opening a file
If you ever need one of these versions, you must retrieve it manually from the local data folder.
Backup
Colonnes is a local-first application. Your documents belong to you, and you are responsible for keeping off-device backup copies.
Good backups are regular, separate from your main machine, and easy to restore. If your documents matter, a good baseline is the 3-2-1 rule:
- Keep 3 copies of your data
- Use 2 different types of storage
- Keep 1 copy off-site
For example, you might keep the original file on your computer, one backup on an external drive, and one backup in a cloud storage service.
If you lose a document, we cannot recover it for you.
The local version history is a safety layer for interrupted saves, not a restore feature and not a replacement for your own backups.
Templates
Colonnes includes a few templates so you can test the app quickly and start with an example structure.
These templates are provided by the app. Users cannot create their own custom templates.
Reopen the Last Document Automatically
By default, Colonnes can reopen the last document you were working on when the app starts again. This makes it easier to return to your current work without going through the file dialog every time.
If you open the app with another document explicitly, that document takes priority. If the last document has been moved or deleted, Colonnes simply starts normally without showing an error.
You can disable this behavior in the app settings if you prefer to choose a document manually at launch.
Synchronization
Because Colonnes uses normal files, you can store them in Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Git, or any other tool you trust.
The important rule is simple: let synchronization finish before opening the same document on another device. If two devices edit different versions before syncing is complete, your sync provider may create conflicts.
For the safest experience, wait for synchronization to complete, then open the document on the next device.
Advanced Usage
In most cases, it is recommended to keep a single file. This keeps everything in one place and makes navigation, search, and review simpler.
That said, it is also possible to work with multiple files. For example, you might keep one file for work and one file for home if you prefer a real separation between the two.
One useful trick is to switch files quickly through the Command Menu. Press