Version Control
Version Control
What is it?
Version Control (also known as Source Control or Revision Control) is a system responsible for managing changes to computer programs, documents, large web sites, or other collections of information. It tracks every modification to the code in a special kind of database.
Modern version control goes beyond simple backup; it enables parallel development through branching and merging, with Git being the de-facto standard for Distributed Version Control Systems (DVCS).
Why is it Important?
- Collaboration: It allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously without overwriting each other’s changes.
- History & Traceability: It provides a complete history of every change, allowing teams to revert to previous versions or identify who made a specific change (and why).
- Risk Mitigation: Branching allows for experimentation and feature development in isolation without destabilizing the main production codebase.
Well-known Solutions
- Systems: Git (Distributed), Subversion (Centralized), Mercurial.
- Hosting Platforms: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket.