Enter key (Macintosh)
| Mac symbol |
⌤ |
|---|---|
| ASCII | 0x03 (<ETX> = End of Text) |
| USB | Keypad ENTER (Page 0x07, ID 0x58) |
The enter key (ASCII 0x03) on a Macintosh computer is a key with a purpose distinct from the return key (ASCII 0x0D). The key in the main cluster used to start a new line is termed the "return" key, and the corresponding key in the numeric keypad is the "enter" key.
The enter key on a Macintosh is used for data submission. The most obvious use case is dialog boxes with a multi-line text field: the return key starts a new line as one would expect, and the enter key submits the dialog box. Online chat applications on the Macintosh work similarly, where return starts a new line, and enter sends the message. PC systems are more likely to use ctrl+enter, shift+enter or alt+enter for a new line, and enter alone to submit; Macs avoid the need for this inconsistency.
