diff --git a/c_impl/.gitignore b/c_impl/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..588c429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/c_impl/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+compile_commands.json
+.cache/
+src/*.o
+fields_from_csv
diff --git a/c_impl/src/main.c b/c_impl/src/main.c
index 11b7fad..ab25a35 100644
--- a/c_impl/src/main.c
+++ b/c_impl/src/main.c
@@ -1,3 +1,265 @@
-int main(int argc, char **argv) {
-    return 0;
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+typedef struct StrDList {
+  char *string;
+  struct StrDList *next;
+  struct StrDList *prev;
+} StrDList;
+
+typedef struct ParsedArgs {
+  const char *input_filename;
+  StrDList *fields;
+  int usage_printed;
+  int error;
+} ParsedArgs;
+
+void usage() {
+  puts(
+      "USAGE:\n"
+      "./fields_from_csv <input_csv> <field> [<field>...]\n");
+}
+
+StrDList *create_strdlist() { return calloc(1, sizeof(StrDList)); }
+
+void append_strdlist(StrDList *head, const char *string) {
+  StrDList *current = head;
+
+  while (current->next) {
+    current = current->next;
+  }
+
+  current->next = calloc(1, sizeof(StrDList));
+  current->next->prev = current;
+  size_t string_size = strlen(string);
+  current->next->string = malloc(string_size + 1);
+  memcpy(current->next->string, string, string_size);
+  current->next->string[string_size] = 0;
+}
+
+void cleanup_strdlist(StrDList **head) {
+  StrDList *current = *head;
+  while (current->next) {
+    current = current->next;
+  }
+
+  if (*head == current) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  while (current->prev) {
+    current = current->prev;
+    if (current->next->string) {
+      free(current->next->string);
+    }
+    free(current->next);
+    current->next = NULL;
+  }
+
+  (*head)->next = NULL;
+
+  free(*head);
+  *head = NULL;
+}
+
+size_t print_and_count_strdlist(StrDList *head) {
+  size_t count = 0;
+  StrDList *current = head;
+  puts("Printing strdlist...");
+  while (current->next) {
+    current = current->next;
+    printf("%s ", current->string);
+    ++count;
+  }
+  printf("\n");
+
+  return count;
+}
+
+int strdlist_has_str(StrDList *head, const char *str) {
+  StrDList *current = head;
+  int idx = 0;
+  while (current->next) {
+    current = current->next;
+    if (strcmp(current->string, str) == 0) {
+      return idx;
+    } else {
+      ++idx;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return -1;
+}
+
+ParsedArgs parse_args(int argc, char **argv) {
+  // init
+  ParsedArgs args;
+  args.input_filename = NULL;
+  args.fields = create_strdlist();
+  args.usage_printed = 0;
+  args.error = 0;
+
+  --argc;
+  ++argv;
+
+  // get filename and field from args
+  if (argc > 1) {
+    args.input_filename = argv[0];
+  } else {
+    args.error = 1;
+    usage();
+    args.usage_printed = 1;
+  }
+
+  --argc;
+  ++argv;
+
+  while (argc > 0) {
+    append_strdlist(args.fields, argv[0]);
+    --argc;
+    ++argv;
+  }
+
+  return args;
+}
+
+typedef struct CSVEntry {
+  char *buf;
+  size_t idx;
+  int is_end_of_line;
+  int is_end_of_file;
+  int is_chosen_field;
+} CSVEntry;
+
+CSVEntry get_field(FILE *fd, size_t field_idx) {
+  size_t current_size = 512;
+  CSVEntry entry;
+  entry.is_end_of_line = 0;
+  entry.is_end_of_file = 0;
+  entry.is_chosen_field = 0;
+  entry.buf = NULL;
+  size_t idx = 0;
+  int next = fgetc(fd);
+
+  while (next != EOF) {
+    if (next == ',') {
+      break;
+    } else if (next == '\n') {
+      entry.is_end_of_line = 1;
+      break;
+    } else if (next == ' ' || next == '\t') {
+      next = fgetc(fd);
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!entry.buf) {
+      // malloc of buf deferred to here in case a field reaches EOF
+      entry.buf = malloc(current_size);
+    }
+    entry.buf[idx++] = next;
+    if (idx >= current_size) {
+      current_size *= 2;
+      entry.buf = realloc(entry.buf, current_size);
+    }
+
+    next = fgetc(fd);
+  }
+
+  if (next == EOF) {
+    entry.is_end_of_file = 1;
+  }
+
+  if (entry.buf) {
+    if (idx >= current_size) {
+      current_size += 1;
+      entry.buf = realloc(entry.buf, current_size);
+      entry.buf[idx] = 0;
+    } else {
+      entry.buf[idx] = 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  entry.idx = field_idx;
+
+  return entry;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+  ParsedArgs args = parse_args(argc, argv);
+
+  if (args.error) {
+    return 1;
+  } else if (args.usage_printed) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  size_t field_count = print_and_count_strdlist(args.fields);
+
+  FILE *csv_fd = fopen(args.input_filename, "r");
+  if (!csv_fd) {
+    printf("ERROR: Failed to open %s!\n", args.input_filename);
+    return 2;
+  }
+
+  size_t cols_size = 32;
+  CSVEntry *entries = calloc(cols_size, sizeof(CSVEntry));
+
+  // get first row of fields and mark the picked ones out of them
+  size_t idx = 0;
+  while (1) {
+    entries[idx] = get_field(csv_fd, idx);
+    ++idx;
+
+    if (idx >= cols_size) {
+      // dynamically resize if more space is needed
+      cols_size *= 2;
+      entries = realloc(entries, cols_size * sizeof(CSVEntry));
+      memset(entries + (cols_size / 2), 0, cols_size / 2);
+    }
+
+    // mark entry if it is specified entry
+    if (strdlist_has_str(args.fields, entries[idx - 1].buf) >= 0) {
+      printf("Found chosen field at idx %ld\n", idx - 1);
+      entries[idx - 1].is_chosen_field = 1;
+    }
+
+    // break if end of first line is reached
+    // TODO maybe check for the case where there is a newline immediately
+    // after a comma
+    if (entries[idx - 1].is_end_of_line) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // do printing of only the chosen columns
+  idx = 0;
+  while (1) {
+    CSVEntry entry = get_field(csv_fd, idx);
+    if (entries[idx].is_chosen_field && entry.buf) {
+      printf("%s, ", entry.buf);
+    }
+
+    if (entry.buf) {
+      free(entry.buf);
+    }
+
+    if (entry.is_end_of_file) {
+      break;
+    } else if (entry.is_end_of_line) {
+      idx = 0;
+      printf("\n");
+    } else {
+      ++idx;
+    }
+  }
+
+  fclose(csv_fd);
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < field_count; ++i) {
+    if (entries[i].buf) {
+      free(entries[i].buf);
+    }
+  }
+  free(entries);
+  cleanup_strdlist(&args.fields);
+  return 0;
 }
diff --git a/c_impl/test.csv b/c_impl/test.csv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0340c4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/c_impl/test.csv
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+one, two  ,   three   , four  , five
+1, 2, 3, 4, 5
+1, 2, 3, 4, 5
+10, 20, 30, 40 , 50
+10, 20, 30, 40 , 50
+10, 20, 30, 40 , 50
+10, 20, 30, 40 , 50