C++ Interview Preparation Roadmap (4 Weeks)

Week 1: Modern C++ Fundamentals

Must-Know

• Move semantics & rvalue references → src/modern_cpp/move_semantics.cpp
• Smart pointers (unique, shared, weak) → src/modern_cpp/smart_pointers.cpp
• RAII & Rule of Five → src/modern_cpp/raii.cpp, rule_of_five.cpp
• Templates & SFINAE → src/modern_cpp/templates_sfinae.cpp
• Perfect forwarding → src/modern_cpp/perfect_forwarding.cpp
• Lambda expressions → src/modern_cpp/lambdas.cpp
• constexpr/consteval → src/modern_cpp/constexpr_consteval.cpp

Nice-to-Know

• Ranges (C++20) → src/modern_cpp/ranges.cpp
• Concepts (C++20) → src/modern_cpp/concepts.cpp
• Structured bindings → src/modern_cpp/structured_bindings.cpp
• Copy elision / RVO / NRVO → src/modern_cpp/copy_elision.cpp

Week 2: Concurrency + Design Patterns

Must-Know

• std::thread, mutex, condition_variable → src/concurrency/mutex_condvar.cpp
• Atomics & memory orderings → src/concurrency/atomics.cpp, memory_model.cpp
• Lock-free data structures → src/concurrency/lock_free_queue.cpp
• Thread pool implementation → src/concurrency/thread_pool.cpp
• Producer-consumer pattern → src/concurrency/producer_consumer.cpp
• Singleton, Factory, Observer, Strategy → src/patterns/

Nice-to-Know

• CRTP (static polymorphism) → src/modern_cpp/crtp.cpp
• Visitor, Command, State patterns → src/patterns/
• Memory model formal semantics

Week 3: Systems Programming + HFT

Must-Know

• TCP/UDP sockets, epoll → src/systems/networking/
• Virtual memory, page tables → src/systems/os/virtual_memory.cpp
• Process scheduling → src/systems/os/scheduler_sim.cpp
• mmap, shared memory → src/systems/linux/mmap_shared_memory.cpp
• Signal handling → src/systems/linux/signal_handling.cpp
• Order book design → src/systems/hft/order_book.cpp
• Market data handler → src/systems/hft/market_data_handler.cpp

Nice-to-Know

• Kernel bypass (DPDK, Solarflare)
• SIMD/vectorization → src/systems/hpc_gpu/simd_vectorization.cpp
• Custom allocators → src/modern_cpp/custom_allocator.cpp
• Memory pool → src/stl_like/memory_pool.cpp

Week 4: DSA + Custom Data Structures + Mock Interviews

Must-Know

• Sliding window, two pointers → src/dsa/
• Binary search on answer → src/dsa/binary_search_on_answer.cpp
• Monotonic stack → src/dsa/monotonic_stack.cpp
• Union-Find, Trie → src/dsa/union_find.cpp, trie.cpp
• LRU Cache → src/stl_like/lru_cache.cpp
• Hash map from scratch → src/stl_like/hash_map.cpp
• Thread-safe queue → src/stl_like/thread_safe_queue.cpp

Nice-to-Know

• Segment tree → src/dsa/segment_tree.cpp
• Topological sort → src/dsa/topological_sort.cpp
• Bit manipulation tricks → src/dsa/bit_manipulation.cpp

Priority by Company Type

Topic	FAANG	HFT	GPU/HPC	Embedded
Move semantics / RAII	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★★
Smart pointers	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★
Templates / SFINAE	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★
Concurrency / Atomics	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★
Lock-free structures	★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★
Cache optimization	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★
DSA / Algorithms	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★
System design	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★
OS internals	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★★★
Networking	★★★	★★★★★	★★	★★★
SIMD / Vectorization	★★	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★
Embedded constraints	★	★★	★★	★★★★★
Design patterns	★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★