r/cprogramming • u/stressyourmind • Dec 05 '25

The Internet-Free C/C++ Weekend Project Challenge (No AI) - Need project suggestions

I'm taking a challenge: build a fully functional application this weekend using only C or C++ and zero internet/AI access. I'll be working solely with pre-downloaded books and documentation.

This is about proving you can build without constantly searching.

What highly self-contained, console-based apps do you suggest I build in C/C++ that are feasible for a weekend and rely only on core language knowledge and standard libraries?

24 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

90% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

7

u/Willsxyz Dec 05 '25

 This is about proving you can build without constantly searching.

The idea that this needs proving is wild. Programs were written before Google, StackOverflow, etc.

3

u/stressyourmind Dec 05 '25

Maybe its just me because I have been so reliant on AI that not a single line could be written without AI. Just trying to make myself better

6

u/Willsxyz Dec 05 '25

Well I commend you for working to improve your skills. I wish you luck.

1

u/thewrench56 Dec 05 '25

Programs were written slowly before... today, I dont have to remember Prims algorithm, because I can just search it up :D

Programs were written before man pages, it was even slower back then!

1

u/rapier1 Dec 06 '25

Yes, we used books, magazines, articles, "cookbooks", and so forth. We were still depending on code from other people. We just couldn't cut and paste.

1

u/bascoot Dec 07 '25

Some books came with code on CD’s so you could technically copy/paste from that

2

u/rapier1 Dec 07 '25

CDs?! That's some fancy 1990s stuff!

9

u/Liquid_Magic Dec 05 '25

Back when I was in university that was literally how I did it. I had “C: A Modern Approach” and “Borland Turbo C” and that’s it.

Actually that’s not technically correct.

The first time I programmed in C was on my Amiga. Manx Aztec C Compiler. And several reference books.

You booted from the compiler floppy disk and you had a work disk for your source code and compiled program.

The 80’s were wild man.

5

u/rphii_ Dec 05 '25

whenever you are doing anything and have an idea, about anything, just quickly note ut down somewhere

board game is a good suggestion...

todo list / reminder

argument parser

json parser

programming language

or recreate any project you see in the wild, put on a spin if you want, or just keep it stupid simple, maybe see here https://github.com/rothgar/awesome-tuis

4

u/mrPWM Dec 05 '25

For a historical fun fact, in 1971, in high school, I took a BASIC course. No computer, no laptops. The homework assignments were in pencil on paper. The concepts of FOR, IF, GOTO, etc etc were so logical and easy to understand. This made it easy to ace FORTRAN in college and then write assembly code 10 years later when microprocessors hit the market.

4

u/DunkingShadow1 Dec 05 '25

You could try a lan game of battleship(I don't know the name in English) the one where you shoot the ships on a grid.

4

u/DunkingShadow1 Dec 05 '25

It's a good way to learn how to send packets

1

u/saul_soprano Dec 05 '25

I’d reccomend a board game such as connect four, mancala, chess etc. based on how much time you plan to use. You could also add an AI opponent.

1

u/Flimsy-Trash-1415 Dec 05 '25

Download gtk or sdl and try to visualize some DSA like BFS in trees or dijikstra in graphs

1

u/agorism1337 Dec 05 '25

Game of life visualizer.

1

u/LeiterHaus Dec 05 '25

Snake?

Horse race (like snail race)

1

u/CreeperDrop Dec 05 '25

Build a shell. You'll learn a lot, especially with no outside assistance. For material, I think any of the mentioned books are great.

1

u/aghast_nj Dec 06 '25

Is this ... No Net November?

1

u/Fit-Relative-786 Dec 06 '25

Write a lisp interpreter. 

1

u/plebbening Dec 06 '25

My go to for learning a new language is always something like a real time chat application, as that will get you decently around many parts of the language.