Version Control
Version control, also called version management or source code management, is a system that records changes to files, especially source code files, over time. It allows users to access previous versions of files, track changes, and revert changes when necessary. Version control systems are an essential part of modern software development and are often used by teams to facilitate collaboration and manage the development process.
There are two main types of version control systems:
- Centralized Version Control (CVCS): In a centralized system, there is a central repository that contains the entire history of file changes. Users must connect to this central repository to make changes or retrieve the current status of the project. Examples of centralized version control systems include Subversion (SVN) and Perforce.
- Distributed Version Control (DVCS): In a distributed system, each user has a complete copy of the repository, including the entire history of file changes. Changes can be made locally and later synchronized with other repositories. Examples of distributed version control systems include Git and Mercurial.
- Change tracking: Version control allows you to track the history of changes to files, who made changes and when they were made
- Collaboration: it allows teams to work together on projects without interfering with each other or accidentally overwriting other people's changes
- Undo changes: If a bug occurs or a change has undesirable effects, developers can easily revert to a previous version
- Version management: Version control helps manage different versions of a project, such as development, test, and production versions
Some of the most popular version control systems are Git, Mercurial, Subversion (SVN), and Perforce.