GIS and QGIS
The Work environment in QGIS.

This section will help you to understand where the different elements on the desktop give acces to or what they are used for. It will not provide detailed information on the interface of the software, for that, you are advised to visit QGIS online documentation.
What to find where in QGIS
For detailed information on all interface elements and processing options you are advised to use the QGIS HELP-pages: QGIS User Guide.

Menu-bars
QGIS has two different menus to access options, processes, settings, actions etc. The Main Menu bar
Data management
Data management means a multitude of different things: Access to data (local and external); data formats (vector, raster, tabular); data storage (GeoDatabase, files); data quality and many more. The Browser window
Map area
In the Map area
Layer-controll
The Layers window
Processing Toolbox
Working in a GIS often involves processing data, either to get it ready for use or to analyse it. Geoprocessing tools perform small operations of geographic data, such as extracting data; change projections; calculate optimal routes; create buffers and so on. These tools are stored and organized in toolboxes. The toolboxes are located in the Processing toolbox
Layouts
The print layout provides access to map layout and printing facilities. It allows to add elements like titles, scale bar, legend, along with maps displaying the visualized data. The Layout window can be opened through the Main menu > Projects > Layouts, a separate window will open where specific tools and functions are available.
Plug-ins
To enhance the basic functionality of QGIS, it is possible to install additional plugins. These are sets of advanced tools added to the application. A set of extensions gives options to analyze spatial relationships for specific purposes, improve productivity. There is a wide variety of plugins ready to be used, many of them can be installed directly from the Plugin Manager within the QGIS application. Most of the plugins can be downloaded and installed for free. You can write your own plugins using the Python programming language.
Help
For detailed information on all interface elements and processing options you are advised to use the online QGIS HELP-pages: QGIS User Guide. You can also access the help contents through Main Menu > Help > Help. When having a question, always first try to find an answer there. Besides these there are many forums online, where you will find support. Not to forget the many video tutorials that will help you in "getting the job done!".