Almost all
computer keyboards have a
key marked
Return or
Enter; the two names are synonymous. The Return key moves the
cursor (or
insertion point) to the beginning of the next line. But more important, it returns control to whatever
program is currently
running. After a program requests information from you (by displaying a
prompt), it will usually not respond to your
input until you have pressed the Return key. This allows you to correct typing mistakes or to reconsider your entry before it is too late. In many
applications, pressing the Return key moves the cursor to the next
field.
In word-processing programs, pressing the Return key inserts a hard return into a document.
In technical documentation, the Return key is sometimes signified by an arrow that looks something like <-'.
