GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User

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I have just started with Gimp and have been playing with cloning and straightening converging verticals. From a tutorial I watched one needs to export the edited version and save it (from the Gimp .xcf file - which is a Tiff file, yes ?) to whatever one needs (in my case a .jpg file.)
My usual software is the Olympus Viewer , with which I do the basic work - levels , WB etc. When I save the work, the message is something along the lines of "do you want to replace this work with the old file ?" In Gimp's case this is saved as a Document file so when I go into Oly Viewer3 the file (of course) is still the original un-edited file. When I go to move the file from Documents to Oly Viewer3, nothing happens.
What am I doing wrong ? How should I be saving edited work ?

SAVE as a .xcf file. This is a Gimp format, not a tiff.
This will preserve layers, selections, etc, etc.

When editing is completed EXPORT as the format you require (.jpg, etc)

If you need to go back and do some more editing open the .xcf

1. Keep a backup of your original shots/photos somewhere else, external HD or another drive.
2. Work on a copy located in your pictures folder.
3. Edit the file in Gimp, when satisfied export as .jpg. Browse to the pictures folder and overwrite the copy.

It shouldn't be more complex than that?
One thing I want to say is that if you only make color corrections, cropping, straightening and other quick edits to fix camera shots,
I don't see any advance to save in .xcf format.
When you do time-consuming editing, using layers, masks, selections, paths etc.
things that can be saved only in native format, then you want to have also a native format copy.

As Nidhogg stated, you have to export other bitmap types. Believe this started with 2.8x (but it might have been 2.6x). Not a fan of this, but, over time, I got use to doing this.

Thanx, all