Deleting
As you may recall from the previous chapter, your Mac allows you to delete items from the desktop, and consequently from your hard drive. It is very important to remember that deleting files and folders permanently removes them from your system.
Like copying a file, there are a number of ways to delete one:
Drag to Dock TrashDragging an icon from a Finder window into the Dock's Trash is one of the most obvious and easy ways to get rid of a file.
Finder toolbarA Delete shortcut can be added to the Finder's toolbar (refer to the section above on customizing Finder window toolbars for details). Any items selected can be quickly moved to the Trash by clicking the Delete shortcut. Delete is not one of the default toolbar icons.
Moving an item on your desktop to the Trash does not delete it permanently. Instead, it places the item inside the trash folder. The Trash icon in the Dock fills with crumpled paper when it contains items waiting to be deleted. To completely remove a file from your system, choose Empty Trash from the Finder's Application menu or press Shift-Command-Delete.
If you want to rescue a file you've accidentally sent to the Trash, you can click the Trash icon and drag the file's icon out of the window.