C++ Roadmap for DSA & Projects
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Stage 1: Foundations (Syntax & Basics)
- Variables, data types, operators
- Conditionals (if, switch) and loops (for, while)
- Functions (parameters, return values, scope)
- Arrays & Strings (manipulation, built-in functions)
- Pointers & References (basic usage, pass by ref/value)
-> Example: Fibonacci, factorial, prime checks

Stage 2: Object-Oriented Programming (For Projects)
- Structures & Classes
- Constructors, destructors
- Encapsulation (private/public), this pointer
- Inheritance (single & multiple basics)
- Polymorphism (function overloading, overriding, virtual functions)
- Operator overloading (basic, like + for complex numbers)
-> Example: BankAccount or LibraryManagement system

Stage 3: Data Structures & STL (Core for DSA)
- Containers:
  - vector, deque, list, stack, queue, priority_queue
  - set, multiset, map, unordered_map
- Iterators & range-based for loops
- Algorithms (sort, binary_search, lower_bound, etc.)
- Pairs & tuples
-> With STL, 70% of DSA becomes easier

Stage 4: Problem Solving (DSA Focus)
- Recursion & Backtracking
- Time & Space complexity
- Searching & Sorting (binary search, merge sort, quicksort)
- Linked List, Stack, Queue, Hashing
- Trees, Binary Search Trees, Heaps, Tries
- Graphs (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra, Union-Find)
- Dynamic Programming (basic -> advanced)
-> C++ STL + fast I/O gives an edge

Stage 5: Project-Oriented Features
- File I/O (fstream, reading/writing files)
- Exception handling (try-catch)
- Smart pointers (unique_ptr, shared_ptr) - optional but useful
- Templates (function templates, class templates - basic)
- Basic multithreading (optional, for bigger projects)
-> Example projects:
   - Student Database System (File handling + OOP)
   - Chat App (basic networking + multithreading, optional)
   - DSA Visualizer (vector/list/queue with graphics lib, optional)

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