This may be a dumb question, but is there a way to enable the code completion window to use the TAB key to complete the word instead of the ENTER key?

For instance, typing $ brings up the code completion window with $_COOKIE selected. If $_COOKIE is the variable I'm going to type, I press the ENTER key and PhpEd automatically inserts $_COOKIE. I would like to be able to use the TAB key instead of the ENTER key for auto-completion.

Thanks!

not yet. It's impossible in phped 3.3...

Is it possible in 4.6?

I have not found it in
Settings -> IDE -> IDE shortcuts
Settings -> IDE -> Code insight
Settings -> Editor -> Editor shurtcuts

I'm sorry to say no. As of 4.6 build 4619 (current) it's still not possible.

Thanks,

but I'm (and probably others are) used to the tab key for completion from command shells.

right, but there are no popups and TAB is what initiates the code completion
If we compare with shell, tab would show the completion popup in the editor, right?

The standard shells I know do not allow a selection from multple choices. Instead the tab key completes the current file or directory name if the already entered letters unambiguously match a file or directory name.

Furthermore I use the tab key in Visual Studio for some years.

But in the first place I'm lucky I've finally found a IDE which does not seem to crash all the time and does not convert my notebook into a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner (like PHPEdit and earlier Komodo).

Ahh. Now it looks like I get the idea. The key words are "no popup" and "unambiguously match"
In the beginning I thought you needed TAB to work in the popup.

(fyi, sh, not bash, in Solaris does not do anything like completion but it's another story)