User interface to an edit

[Jimg]

When a user is editing text in a multi line edit control/box, what is the most commonly expected way to exit the editing and save the entry using the keyboard?  I can see that escape would be a good way to abort the changes and exit, but in a multi-line edit, return and tab are valid entries, and I'm drawing a blank as to what key is normally used to save and exit.

[Tedd]

I don't think there generally is one - it's usually mouse-click the save button/menu-item.
I would go for escape, but then it's expect to be 'abort' rather than save-and-exit-nicely - though you could easily insert a "exit and save?" message box.
Hmmm..... "ALT+X" maybe? (CTRL+X is 'cut')
"ALT+F4" is application exit, which could prompt saving (or even do it silently; and leave escape for non-save-exit?) - could you use that?

[Jimg]

Thanks Tedd.   I could use anything, I just wanted to know what the normal user would expect.  This is for a grid control, so the user would be filling out a row of information across many cells.  I didn't think there was a common way, but would like to get a consensus as to what it should be.  My currently inclination is to reserve the tab key for this, and perhaps let the user insert an actual tab some other way.

[ramguru]

My suggestion:
Shift+Tab - save and go to previous cell (holding shift and pressing tab multiple times)
Ctrl+Tab - save and go to next cell (holding ctrl and pressing tab multiple times)

[Tedd]

Okay, better idea..
Pressing return accepts the changes and exits editing mode - this should be the most common action/situation.
Escape cancels the changes and exits editing.
To insert a newline while editing: "shift+return"