- Learn syntax basics: variables, data types, operators, control flow (
if,switch, loops). - Understand functions: declaration, definition, scope, return values.
- Practice with simple programs: calculators, number guessing games, basic string manipulation.
- Get comfortable with compilation: using
gcc, debugging withgdb.
- Pointers and memory: pointer arithmetic, arrays, strings, dynamic memory (
malloc,free). - Structures and enums: modeling real-world data.
- File I/O: reading/writing text and binary files.
- Error handling: return codes,
errno.
- Modular programming: header files, separate compilation, libraries.
- Data structures: linked lists, stacks, queues, trees.
- Algorithms: sorting, searching, recursion.
- Memory management: avoiding leaks, using
valgrind.
- Low-level programming: bitwise operations, working with hardware registers.
- Concurrency: processes, threads (
pthreads), synchronization. - Networking: sockets, client-server models.
- Optimization: profiling, inline assembly, compiler flags.
- Build a text editor: like a mini version of
nano. - Implement a compiler or interpreter: for a toy language.
- Create an operating system kernel: minimal bootloader and task scheduler.
- Contribute to open-source C projects: Linux kernel, Git, SQLite.
- Months 1–2: Foundations + Core Concepts
- Months 3–4: Intermediate Skills
- Months 5–6: Advanced Mastery
- Beyond 6 months: Expert Projects + Open Source Contributions
Would you like me to turn this into a daily/weekly study schedule (with exercises and milestones), or keep it as a flexible roadmap you can adapt?