Most Popular Books by Mike McGrath

Whether you have a backyard or only a terrace, you bet you can grow beautiful heirloom tomatoes! From the host of PBS''s You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath will teach you everything you need to know about choosing tomato varieties, germination, planting, staking, caging, food, water, maintenance, pest control and diseases, and harvesting. You Bet Your Garden: Guide to Growing Great Tomatoes is filled with expert insight, fascinating tomato lore, and Mike''s signature witty and conversational tone, making this essential guide to tomato gardening even more fun to read. Understand all the benefits of growing your own tomatoes and learn tips and techniques to doing so from the leading authority in the field!

Coding for Kids in easy steps shows how to: · create web pages using HTML (HyperText Markup Language) · add style to web pages using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) · make interactive web pages using JavaScript programming Coding for Kids in easy steps has an easy-to-follow style that demonstrates coding for web pages in clear examples. It begins by explaining how to make and test a basic web page, then demonstrates how to add text, pictures, links, tables, lists, and buttons to a web page. Next, the reader learns how to specify content color, font, position, and visibility. The book then shows how to add functionality so that web pages can react to user actions. The final chapter brings everything together with a step-by-step example that builds a fun web page containing an interactive game for PC, tablet, or smartphone. Coding for Kids in easy steps assumes the reader has no previous coding experience so is ideal for the newcomer to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript technologies. Get the FREE downloadable sample code to easily check and correct your own code. Table of Contents: Get started with web pages Create web page content Make lists and tables React to clicks Get started with style sheets Get started with scripts Build blocks of code Use built-in functions Grab web page objects Put it all together

Never run out of backyard DIY woodworking projects when you have a copy of Making Practical Backyard Projects in Wood: Plans and Patterns for Better Outdoor Living! Featuring contributions from a veritable all-star team of DIY experts from Alan and Gill Bridgewater to woodworking teacher Bill Hylton, this collection of 20 home woodworking and backyard makeover ideas is an instant cure for cabin fever. Inside, you''ll find plans for smaller builds--think herb boxes and birdhouses--as well as plans for larger projects like planter benches, tool sheds, and classic Adirondack chairs. With additional contributions from master birdhouse designer Paul Meisel and tips from Mike McGrath, former host of PBS''s You Bet Your Garden, it''s an encyclopedic examination of everything wood can do to improve the look and feel of your outdoor living space. Making Practical Backyard Projects in Wood doesn''t stop there, either. Don''t be surprised if you learn all sorts of fascinating outdoor DIY tidbits that make you want to maximize every inch of your balcony or yard.

CSS3 in easy steps instructs the user how to create exciting web pages using Cascading Style Sheets version 3 (CSS3) for presentation and dynamic effect. CSS3 in easy steps begins by explaining how style sheets can determine the presentation of elements within HTML documents. Examples show how Cascading Style Sheet rules control content position and its appearance with font style, color, gradients, and drop-shadow effects. You will also learn how rules can provide dynamic effect with animation, transformations, and transitions. Each chapter builds your knowledge of style sheets. By the end of this book you will have gained a sound understanding of CSS3 and be able to create your own exciting interactive web pages. The book examples provide clear syntax-highlighted code showing how to selectively style components of an HTML document and how to endow components with interactive functionality, to illustrate each aspect of CSS3 . CSS3 in easy steps has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to anyone who wants to begin creating stylish web pages. It will appeal to programmers who want to quickly learn the latest style sheet techniques, and to the student who is studying website design at school or college, and to those seeking a career in web development who need a thorough understanding of CSS3.

C# Programming in easy steps will teach you to code applications, and demonstrates every aspect of the C# language you will need to produce professional programming results. Its examples provide clear syntax-highlighted code showing C# language basics including variables, arrays, logic, looping, methods, and classes. C# Programming in easy steps begins by explaining how to install the free Visual Studio Community Edition, to create an environment in which you can quickly begin to create your own executable programs by copying the book''s examples. It demonstrates all the C# language basics before moving on to provide examples of Object Oriented Programming. The book concludes by demonstrating how you can use your acquired knowledge to create graphic programs for traditional PC Desktop apps, and also as Universal apps for multiple devices. C# Programming in easy steps has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to: anyone who wants to begin programming in C#the programmer who quickly wants to add C# to their skills setthe hobbyist who wants to begin creating apps for their own computerthe student, and to those seeking a career in computing, who need a fundamental understanding of C# programming Contents: Getting startedStoring valuesPerforming operationsMaking statementsDevising methodsHandling stringsAccessing filesSolving problemsCreating objectsControlling eventsBuilding applicationsTargeting devices

HTML, CSS & JavaScript in easy steps is a comprehensive guide to everything the reader will need to get to grips with HTML, CSS and JavaScript - all in easy steps!

Microsoft Excel in easy steps guides you through the essential functions of Microsoft Excel – whether you are new to Excel and the spreadsheet concept, or just upgrading from an older version. This edition is illustrated using the most up-to-date version of Excel in Microsoft 365 at the time of printing. Microsoft Excel in easy steps starts with the basics then reveals the key clever features on offer – all in easy steps! Areas covered include: · Creating, editing, and manipulating worksheets. · Formulas, functions, tables and importing data. · Handy templates to give you a head start. · Macros for everyday tasks to save time. · Charts to get an overview of your data. · What-if, Goal Seek and Optimization. · Using the Excel Online app to share and collaborate on spreadsheets and workbooks. · Adding images and illustrations to your spreadsheets to impress your colleagues! Whether you’re new to Microsoft Excel or new to spreadsheets, use this guide to get more out of Microsoft Excel, and manage your finances and data effectively – both at home and at work! Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Begin with Excel 3. Manage Data 4. Formulas and Functions 5. Excel Tables 6. Advanced Functions 7. Control Excel 8. Charts 9. Macros in Excel 10. Templates and Scenarios 11. Links and Connections

Now in its third edition, this bestseller will appeal to anyone, of any age, who wants to begin coding. Use Coding for Beginners in easy steps to help you quickly create a programming environment on your computer, then, learn how to: · Write Python code to create your programs. · Store information in data structures. · Control program flow using control structures. · Create re-usable blocks of program code. · Code powerful algorithms and classes for Object Oriented Programming (OOP). All features are illustrated using the Python language color-coding convention, and all code is available to download free – making it even easier! Includes comparison examples in C, C++, C#, and Java to give you a rounded view of computer coding. Ideal for newcomers to programming, including youngsters needing to learn coding for the school curriculum – all in easy steps! Table of Contents 1. Getting Started 2. Saving Data 3. Performing Operations 4. Making Lists 5. Controlling Blocks 6. Creating Functions 7. Sorting Algorithms 8. Importing Libraries 9. Managing Text 10. Programming Objects 11. Building Interfaces 12. Developing Apps 13. Transferring Skills

Have I Got Your Attention? is a fresh, practical and deeply relatable guide to Adult ADHD in Ireland, especially those who received their diagnosis later in life. With a foreword by Ken Kilbride, CEO of ADHD Ireland, this book brings together ten remarkable Irish voices – artists, medics, writers, inventors and more – each offering a candid glimpse into life as an ADHDer in Ireland. From understanding the basics of assessment, diagnosis and treatment, to navigating work, relationships and everyday challenges, this guide provides clear and comprehensive insights tailored to the Irish context. It’s a toolkit for self-understanding and self-advocacy – empowering adult ADHDers to build lives that work for them. Have I Got Your Attention? also tackles stigma and misinformation head-on, celebrating all the positives that come with ADHD while acknowledging the hurdles too. Packed with expert advice, lived experience, practical strategies and useful resources, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand ADHD – whether you’ve been diagnosed, are self-identifying, or simply want to join the conversation.

PHP and MySQL in easy steps will teach the user to write PHP server-side scripts and how to make MySQL database queries. It has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to: anyone who wants to begin producing data-driven web pages.web developers wanting to add database interaction to their web sites.the programmer who quickly wants to add PHP and MySQL to their skills set.the hobbyist who wants to begin creating scripts for upload to their own ISP.the student, and to those seeking a career in computing, who need a fundamental understanding of server-side programming with PHP and MySQL. PHP & MySQL in easy steps demonstrates by example how to produce data-driven web pages using the powerful PHP scripting language and the popular free MySQL database server. The book examples provide clear syntax-highlighted code showing how to selectively insert and extract data from databases for presentation on your web browser. PHP & MySQL in easy steps begins by explaining how to install a free web server, the PHP interpreter, and MySQL database server, to create an environment in which you can produce your very own data-driven server-side web pages. You will learn how to write PHP server-side scripts and how to make MySQL database queries. Examples illustrate how to store and retrieve Session Data, how to provide a Message Board, and how to create an E-Commerce Shopping Cart. This book assumes you have no previous experience of any programming or scripting language so is ideal for the newcomer to PHP and MySQL technologies.

This renowned guide is updated to cover Python version 3 in quick, digestible chunks. With no prior Python knowledge or experience needed, Python in easy steps, 3rd edition starts by helping you install the free Python interpreter. It then illustrates all the essentials, including: · Python language basics. · Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). · Handling web form data with the Flask framework (new for this edition!). · Building and deploying graphical windowed applications. Clear examples, with freely downloadable colorized source code, are provided throughout the book. This primer will help you download Python and start creating real executable programs from Day One! A must-have guide for Python beginners of any age! Table of Contents 1. Getting started 2. Performing operations 3. Making statements 4. Defining functions 5. Importing modules 6. Managing strings 7. Programming objects 8. Processing requests 9. Building interfaces 10. Developing applications

GO Programming in easy steps has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to anyone who wants to begin coding computer programs with Google’s Go programming language. The code in the listed steps within the book is color-coded making it easier for beginners to grasp. You need have no previous knowledge of any computer programming language so it''s ideal for the newcomer. GO Programming in easy steps instructs you how to write code to create your own computer programs. It contains separate chapters demonstrating how to store information in data structures, how to control program flow using control structures, and how to create re-usable blocks of code in program functions. There are complete step-by-step example programs that demonstrate each aspect of coding, together with screenshots that illustrate the actual output when each program is executed. GO Programming in easy steps begins by explaining how to easily create a programming environment on your own computer, so you can quickly begin to create your own working programs by copying the book''s examples. After demonstrating the essential building blocks of computer programming it describes how to use data abstraction for object-oriented programming and demonstrates how to code goroutines and channels for concurrency in your programs. Table of Contents 1. Get Started 2. Store Values 3. Perform Operations 4. Control Flow 5. Produce Functions 6. Build Structures 7. Create Arrays 8. Harness Time 9. Manage Data 10. Handle Input 11. Employ Concurrency 12. Request Responses

SQL is THE standard language used world-wide for database communication on all popular database software. It allows the storage and manipulation of data both on Windows platforms and on Unix-based platforms, such as Linux. SQL in easy steps, 3rd edition has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to anyone who wants to begin using databases. It is aimed at those with little or no experience of SQL. From web developers wanting to add database interaction to their web sites, programmers wanting to quickly add SQL to their skills set, hobbyists who want to begin creating SQL scripts for upload to their own ISP, to students or to those seeking a career in computing, this book will appeal to all who need a fundamental understanding of database administration with SQL. SQL in easy steps, 3rd edition begins by explaining how to download and install the free MySQL database server on both Windows and Linux platforms. This allows you to establish an environment in which to develop and administer your own databases. This book makes no assumption that you will have previous knowledge of any programming or scripting language so it''s ideal for the newcomer to SQL. Each chapter builds your knowledge of executing database queries. The book contains exciting chapters on how to selectively extract data from within one, or more, databases and there are complete examples that illustrate each aspect of SQL. By the end of this book you will have gained a sound understanding of the Structured Query Language and be able to write your own SQL scripts to insert, extract and manipulate data. Updated and revised with the latest techniques since the second edition, which was published in 2005. All examples given in this 3rd edition demonstrate SQL features using the current MySQL Relational Database Management System that is supported on both Windows and Linux operating systems. Table of Contents 1) Introducing SQL 2) Getting Started 3) Creating database tables 4) Inserting data into tables 5) Retrieving data from tables 6) Sorting retrieved data 7) Simple data filtering 8) Complex data filtering 9) Generating calculated fields 10) Manipulating data 11) Grouping table data 12) Making complex queries 13) Joining database tables

C++ Programming in easy steps, 5th Edition shows you how to program in the powerful C++ language. Now, in its fifth edition, this guide gives complete examples that illustrate each aspect with colourized source code. C++ Programming in easy steps, 5th Edition begins by explaining how to install a free C++ compiler so you can quickly begin to create your own executable programs by copying the book’s examples. It demonstrates all the C++ language basics before moving on to provide examples of Object Oriented Programming (OOP). C++ is not platform-dependent, so programs can be created on any operating system. Most illustrations in this book depict output on the Windows operating system purely because it is the most widely used desktop platform. The examples can also be created on other platforms such as Linux or macOS. The book concludes by demonstrating how you can use your acquired knowledge to create programs graphically using a modern C++ Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as Microsoft’s Visual Studio Community Edition. C++ Programming in easy steps, 5th Edition has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to: anyone who wants to begin programming in C++ programmers moving from another programming language students who are studying C++ Programming at school or college those seeking a career in computing who need a fundamental understanding of object oriented programming This book makes no assumption that you have previous knowledge of any programming language so it is suitable for the beginner to programming in C++, whether you know C or not. Contents: Getting started Performing operations Making statements Handling strings Reading and writing files Pointing to data Creating classes and objects Harnessing polymorphism Processing macros Programming visually

It demonstrates how features such as animation and audio can be employed to ensure web sites are used to their full potential and therefore helps to create professional products that will secure a positive image of the company or product they are promoting. It is accessible and simplifies the authoring experience so that even those with little or no previous knowledge of creating web pages can develop and innovate stimulating and interactive features to enhance their content.

This fully updated second edition of GO Programming in easy steps assumes no prior knowledge, and begins by illustrating how to create a GO programming environment on your computer. Then, using color-coded examples, this guide covers the basics and shows how to: · Apply data abstraction for Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). · Build goroutines and channels for concurrency in your programs. · Store information in data structures. · Control program flow with control structures. · Create reusable blocks of code in program functions... and much more! This edition also introduces new language features for the new() function, and demonstrates all examples in the Visual Studio Code IDE. Includes free downloadable source code so that you can get started straightaway! Table of Contents 1. Getting Started 2. Storing Values 3. Performing Operations 4. Controlling Flow 5. Producing Functions 6. Building Structures 7. Creating Arrays 8. Harnessing Time 9. Managing Data 10. Handling Input 11. Employing Concurrency 12. Processing Requests

Windows 10 in easy steps – Special Edition is a comprehensive, yet concise guide that will walk you through Windows 10 basics so that you''re up and running in no time. Then, in easy steps, it''ll gently guide you through advanced features to help you venture further and get more from Windows 10. Install/upgrade the right Windows 10 release for you Master the new interface, desktop and the Start menu Find, download and use key apps for work and for fun Utilize internet and cloud facilities such as OneDrive Enjoy Microsoft Edge, the new innovative web browser Take control of your devices and printers Save time – use the Search feature and Cortana Create and monitor your home network Organize and share your files safely Keep your Windows 10 working smoothly & efficiently Explore Windows Registry, file encryption, Command Prompt, and more, all at your own pace This guide also includes a chapter on troubleshooting so it''ll serve as a key reference point for the future – a great investment for all Windows 10 users!

The R language is widely used by statisticians for data analysis, and the popularity of R programming has therefore increased substantially in recent years. The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) gathers increasing amounts of data that can be analyzed to gain useful insights into trends. R for Data Analysis in easy steps, 2nd edition has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to anyone who wants to produce graphic visualizations to gain insights from gathered data. The book begins by explaining core programming principles of the R programming language, which stores data in “vectors” from which simple graphs can be plotted. Next, it describes how to create “matrices” to store and manipulate data from which graphs can be plotted to provide better insights. This book then demonstrates how to create “data frames” from imported data sets, and how to employ the “Grammar of Graphics” to produce advanced visualizations that can best illustrate useful insights from your data. R for Data Analysis in easy steps, 2nd edition contains separate chapters on the major features of the R programming language. There are complete example programs that demonstrate how to create Line graphs, Bar charts, Histograms, Scatter graphs, Box plots, and more. The code for each R script is listed, together with screenshots that illustrate the actual output when that script has been executed. The free, downloadable example R code is provided for clearer understanding. By the end of this book you will have gained a sound understanding of R programming, and be able to write your own scripts that can be executed to produce graphic visualizations for data analysis. You need have no previous knowledge of any programming language, so it''s ideal for the newcomer to computer programming. Updated for the latest version of R. Contents: Getting started Storing values Performing operations Testing conditions Employing functions Building matrices Constructing data frames Producing quick plots Telling stories with data Plotting perfection