Return and Enter Are Two Different Keys

John Gruber, writing at DaringFireball: A New York Times mini crossword clue over the weekend was based on the notion that "Enter" is just a synonym for the Return key. It's not. They're two different keys that usually perform the same action, but not always. All keyboards have a dedicated Return keyâ--âit's the big key you're thinking of above the right Shift key. On a Mac, the key code when you press Return is 36 [...].

A dedicated Enter key is generally only present on extended keyboards with a numeric keypadâ--âit's the key in the lower-right corner and is generally the only oversized key on the keyboard that is larger vertically, not horizontally. Its Mac key code is 76 [...]. Just look at such a keyboard: the Return key says "Return", and the Enter key says "Enter". If your keyboard doesn't have a dedicated Enter key, you can type the Enter key by pressing Fn-Return. That's why some Return keys have "Enter" printed in small type above the word "Return". If your keyboard has neither a dedicated Enter key nor an Fn modifier key, I don't think you can type Enter. [...]

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