I'm learning C while working through Nand2Tetris because I want more than basic programming skills. My goal is to understand computers from the ground up: how software interacts with hardware, how memory and CPUs work, and how operating systems fit into the picture. Is C combined with Nand2Tetris a good path for developing strong computer science fundamentals? If you were starting over, would you add, remove, or rearrange anything?
4 Answers
That’s a solid starting path, especially for understanding how computers work internally. Just keep in mind that Nand2Tetris is heavily hardware-oriented, while broader software theory focuses more on patterns and abstractions that apply regardless of implementation. Adding algorithms and data structures afterward would give you a better balance.
You don’t need to remove anything. C plus Nand2Tetris is a clear beginner track, and the main thing is to introduce new subjects gradually rather than trying to learn every layer at once. A free introductory computer science course could also help fill in topics such as algorithms, data structures, and programming concepts while you continue the hardware material.
You could follow this up by writing a few emulators. CHIP-8 is a manageable first project, and you can gradually move toward something more complex, such as a Game Boy emulator. Projects like these make memory, instruction sets, registers, and graphics systems feel much more concrete.
I’ve never built an emulator, but starting with CHIP-8 after Nand2Tetris sounds like a great next project. I’d definitely like to try it.
The combination is excellent, but it represents older programming styles. Nand2Tetris is intentionally minimalist, and straightforward C will teach you a fairly low-level approach. Later, study a modern language to see how stronger type systems, automatic memory management, modules, and concurrency help with larger software projects. Rust, C++, or even Python can provide useful contrasts.
I’ve used a little Python, and after C I’m considering Rust and C++. Seeing how modern languages address C’s weaknesses would be a useful part of the learning process.
That’s what I’m planning. I’m working through K. N. King’s C Programming: A Modern Approach now, and I’d like to study algorithms and data structures afterward, possibly with Sedgewick’s Algorithms in C.