Version control systems (VCS) help teams track changes to code, collaborate safely, and recover quickly when something breaks. They record who changed what and when, providing a shared history you can inspect or roll back.
Why version control?
- Change history: Every change is logged with author, time, and intent.
- Collaboration: Multiple contributors work in parallel without overwriting each other.
- Recovery: You can revert to a known good state if a change introduces issues.
- Traceability: Audits, reviews, and debugging become easier with clear commit history.
Centralized vs. distributed VCS
- Centralized (e.g., SVN, Perforce): A single central server stores all history. Contributors usually commit directly to that server. Simpler to start, but offline work is limited and the central server is a single point of failure.
- Distributed (e.g., Git, Mercurial): Every clone carries full history. You can commit, branch, and inspect history offline, then sync with a remote (like GitHub/GitLab). This model scales better for branching and open collaboration.
Key Git concepts
- Repository: A project’s history and files.
- Commit: A snapshot of changes with a message explaining intent.
- Branch: A movable pointer to a line of development (e.g.,
main, feature branches). - Merge & rebase: Ways to integrate changes from one branch into another.
- Remote: A shared copy of the repo (e.g., origin on GitHub) used to push/pull changes.
Typical Git workflow
- Clone the repository.
- Create or switch to a branch for your work.
- Make changes and commit with clear messages.
- Push the branch to the remote.
- Open a pull/merge request for review; address feedback.
- Merge to main; delete the feature branch if appropriate.
Best practices
- Write small, focused commits with clear messages.
- Use branches for features, fixes, and experiments.
- Keep main protected with reviews and required checks.
- Tag releases to mark stable points in history.
- Document contribution guidelines so the team follows the same workflow.
How to choose a VCS
Most modern teams pick Git for its distributed model, strong branching/merging support, and ecosystem (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket). Centralized systems can fit tightly controlled environments, but Git remains the default for flexible, collaborative delivery.
Start small: adopt a clean branching strategy, protect your main branch, and keep commits readable. That alone improves collaboration and resilience.