The “Enter” key (sometimes known as “Enter” or “Return”), usually marked with the symbol ↵owes its origins to the layout used in typewriters. While in the latter it was simply used to wrap around the physical sheet that was being “typed”, on the keyboard of modern computers the “Enter” key performs different tasks depending on the context of use: in some cases it can be used to confirm an action; in others it can serve to end the insertion of a command. Some keyboards (what in jargon are called 100% full size or 110%based on the number of keys they integrate), integrate two “Enter” keys: one on the alphanumeric part, immediately under the “Del/Backspace” key and one on the numeric keypad. This feature derives from the need to speed up and facilitate users’ work, especially in professional contexts where the insertion of numerical data is frequent. In the past, the two keys had slightly different functions, but today they are in the vast majority of cases interchangeable.
The origins of the “Enter” key and its usefulness
The “Enter” key present on the keyboards of our computers – and, by extension, also on the virtual keyboards of our smartphones and tablets – as well as for the QWERTY layout of the keys, has its origins in the world of typewriters. In particular, the “Enter” key owes its birth to two functions present in the latter: the action of “return to the beginning”given by a special button (and even before that by a lever generally positioned on the left of the machine), which essentially brought the carriage back to the beginning of the next row; the action of “line feed”which served to advance the sheet one line downwards.
With the advent of computers, the use of the “Enter” key essentially depends on the context you are in, as this button can perform various actions. Generally speaking, these can consist ofto get to the point if you are using word processing software (such as Word or Pages), inexecute the commands in the current line if you are using a command line interface (such as that of the Windows Command Prompt or the macOS Terminal) or, again, in theperform a certain confirmation action (for example by pressing “Enter” you could avoid clicking on any “OK”, “YES”, “Save”, “Send message”, etc. buttons present in the dialog boxes that appear on the screen).
Why do some keyboards have two “Enter” keys
We have now arrived at the question of questions: Why are there two “Enter” keys on some keyboards? Initially, the “Enter” key located next to the numeric keypad it was designed to operate in contexts where entering numbers and calculations was frequent, such as in accounting work. This key, larger and rectangular, allowed those who often used the numeric keypad to avoid unnecessary hand movements towards the main “Enter” key, located in the alphanumeric area, under the “Del/Backspace” key so to speak.
In addition to this, it must be said that in the first PCs, the two “Enter” keys were mapped differentlywith distinct codes that told the system which of the two had been pressed. Furthermore, the two keys had different wordings which made it possible to clearly understand what function they performed: the “Enter” key located near the numeric keypad was characterized by the wording “Enter”as it was used to confirm choices or to enter data; the “Enter” key located under the “Del/Backspace” key, however, was characterized by the wording “Return” and was mainly used to wrap things up.
Today, the technical differences between the two keys have been largely eliminated and, with the evolution of modern operating systems, most keyboards have made the two “Enter” keys equivalent, although for the sake of completeness it must be said that some software still treats them differently.
