The enter key is a primary input button on computer keyboards that signals the operating system to process a completed entry. On extended keyboards, it is located both on the main alphanumeric block and on the numeric keypad. Pressing it generates a specific carriage return or line feed control character depending on the operating system environment.
Hit the enter key once the script finishes compiling to reboot the server.
While most operating systems treat Enter and Return identically, some terminal emulators and specific software map the numpad Enter to a different scancode than the main Return key.
Also heard as
- Enter
Do not mix it up with
- Return key: The return key historically moved a carriage back to the left margin, whereas enter was designed to submit data to a mainframe.
Related terms
Return key
A keyboard button used to execute a command or move the cursor to the next line.
Escape character
A specific control code that changes the meaning of the data immediately following it.
Keyboard
A primary input device consisting of mechanical or membrane switches used to enter alphanumeric data into a computer.