I’m assuming you are on a laptop without a traditional Delete key. If you are on a MacBook/Powerbook you would hold the Fn (function) key + Backspace to do a forward delete. You can also press Control + D to forward delete on any Mac keyboard (this method will only work in Cocoa applications, which are most applications released today with some notable exceptions such as Firefox).
If you have a desktop Apple keyboard, there is a Delete button above the arrow keys just like on a Windows keyboard.
You may also use something like DoubleCommand to remap any of the keys on your keyboard to whatever you wish.
Here are some more handy keyboard shortcuts you may be interested in as far as text processing goes:
These shortcuts can be used within all text areas in Cocoaapplications.
| option-left arrow | move left one word |
| option-right arrow | move right one word |
| option-up arrow | move up one paragraph |
| option-down arrow | move down one paragraph |
| control-left arrow | move to start of current line |
| command-left arrow |
| control-right arrow | move to end of current line |
| command-right arrow |
| shift + any of the above | extend selection by appropriate amount |
| click then drag | select text |
| double-click then drag | select text, wrapping to word ends |
| triple-click then drag | select text, wrapping to paragraph ends |
| shift-select text with mouse | add to selection (contiguous) |
| command-select text with mouse | add to selection (non-contiguous) |
| option-drag | select rectangular area (non-contiguous) |
| command-option-drag | add rectangular area to selection |
| drag selection | move text |
| option-drag selection | copy text |
| control-A | move to start of current paragraph |
| control-B | move left one character |
| control-D | forwards delete |
| control-E | move to end of current paragraph |
| control-F | move right one character |
| control-H | delete |
| control-K | delete remainder of current paragraph |
| control-N | move down one line |
| control-O | insert new line after cursor |
| control-P | move up one line |
| control-T | transpose (swap) two surrounding character |
| control-V | move to end, then left one character |
| control-Y | paste text previously deleted with control-K |
