C++ Learning Programme (3 Months)

This programme is designed to refresh your C++ knowledge, focusing on understanding complex code and writing simple code by the end of the programme. It is split into 3 phases, each lasting 1 month, with corresponding exercises, resources, and goals.

Duration: 4 weeks

Goal: Relearn C++ syntax, basic constructs, and simple problem-solving.

• Topics to Cover:
  1. C++ basic syntax (variables, data types, control structures)
  2. Functions, pointers, references
  3. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Classes, inheritance, polymorphism
  4. Memory management (stack vs heap)
  5. Basic input/output operations (streams)

• Resources:
  1. LearnCPP.com: Beginner-friendly tutorials
  2. C++ Reference: For in-depth explanations
  3. Book: “Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++” by Bjarne Stroustrup (optional)

• Exercises:
  1. Simple console applications (calculators, loops, conditionals)
  2. Rebuild classic data structures (linked list, stack, queue) using C++
  3. Implement small OOP examples (e.g., a simple class hierarchy with inheritance)

• Projects:
  1. Write a small program to manage basic bank transactions (using classes and file I/O)

Duration: 4 weeks

Goal: Dive deeper into intermediate C++ topics and master the Standard Library (STL).

• Topics to Cover:
  1. Templates and Generic Programming
  2. Standard Template Library (STL): Vectors, Lists, Maps, Sets
  3. Error handling (exceptions)
  4. Smart pointers (unique_ptr, shared_ptr)
  5. Basic Multithreading (std::thread, mutex)

• Resources:
  1. Learn C++ - Templates
  2. STL Documentation on Cplusplus.com
  3. Book: “Effective Modern C++” by Scott Meyers (optional but highly recommended for modern C++ practices)

• Exercises:
  1. Implement data structures using STL (e.g., using `std::vector`, `std::map`)
  2. Create simple template classes/functions
  3. Experiment with `std::thread` and `mutex` to manage simple multithreading tasks

• Projects:
  1. Write a program that simulates a small library system, using STL containers and smart pointers
  2. Practice using exceptions for error handling in more complex scenarios

Duration: 4 weeks

Goal: Get comfortable with more advanced C++ concepts, focus on reading and understanding complex codebases.

• Topics to Cover:
  1. Lambda functions and functional programming
  2. Move semantics and R-value references
  3. Advanced memory management (manual allocation and deallocation)
  4. Reading and contributing to open-source C++ projects
  5. Debugging and profiling C++ code

• Resources:
  1. ISO C++ Site for up-to-date information
  2. Explore open-source repositories on GitHub, such as Facebook's Folly library for real-world C++ code examples

• Exercises:
  1. Analyze complex C++ code in open-source projects (focusing on reading, not just writing)
  2. Solve more complex coding challenges using C++ (check websites like LeetCode, Codeforces)
  3. Debug C++ programs and profile performance using tools like `gdb` and `valgrind`

• Projects:
  1. Contribute small patches or improvements to open-source C++ projects
  2. Implement a simple task scheduler or a basic version of a task queue using C++ threads

• IDE/Editor:
  1. Recommended: Visual Studio Code with the C++ extension, or CLion
  2. Compilers:
     1. GCC (Linux) or Clang
     2. For Windows: MinGW or MSVC

• Build Systems:

1. Get familiar with using CMake for project management and building larger C++ projects.

At the end of this 3-month programme, you should be able to:

1. Read and understand moderately complex C++ codebases
2. Write simple C++ programs using modern C++ practices (C++11/14/17)
3. Feel comfortable contributing to open-source C++ projects or debugging complex C++ applications.