WhyShould You Use Version Control System?


Version control system is a category of software tools that help a software team oversee changes to source code after some time. Version control software monitors each change to the code in an extraordinary kind of database. If an error is made, developers can return to sometime in the past and contrast earlier versions of the code to help fix mistakes while limiting disturbance to all team members.
So Why Do We Need A Version Control System (VCS)?
Our share folder is fine for class projects or one-time papers, butsoftware projects? No way.
Do you think the Apple source code sits in a shared folder like "Apple-Latest-UPDATED!!", for anybody to alter? That each software engineer just works in an alternate subfolder? No chance.
Huge, quick changing tasks with numerous creators need a Version Control System to follow changes and keep away from general confusion. A decent VCS does the following:
Backup and Restore.Files get saved when they are edited and you can hop to any minute in time. For instance, if you need to look up a file from Oct 21, 2007, you can efficiently use a VCS to do this task.
Synchronization.Lets individuals share records and stay updated with the most recent version.
Short-term undo.If you mess around with a file and end up altering it, then you can easily throw away those changes and go back to the “last known good” version in the database.
Long-term undo. Here and there we mess up awful. Assume you rolled out an improvement a year prior, and it had a bug. You would be able to go back to the old form, and see what change was made that day.
Track Changes. As documents are refreshed, you can leave messages clarifying why the change occurred (put away in the VCS, not the file). This makes it simple to perceive how a file is developing after some time, and why.
Track Ownership. A VCS labels each change with the name of the individual who made it. This will help you to keep track of the ownership.
Sandboxing, or protection against yourself. Are you planning on making a big change in your file? You can roll out brief improvements in an isolated region, test and work out the changes before "checking in" your changes.
Branching and Merging.A bigger sandbox. You can branch a duplicate of your code into a separate area and alter it in isolation (tracking changes independently). Afterwards, you can merge your work once again into the common area.

Learn the Language of Version Control System
Many version control systems include the followingideas, however the names might be unique.
BasicSetup
·         Repository (repo): The database storing the files.
·         Server: The PC storing the repo.
·         Client: The PC associating with the repo.
·         Working Set/Working Copy: This is your local directory of files, where you make changes.
·         Trunk/Main: The essential area for code in the repo. Consider code a family tree — the trunk is the fundamental line.

Basic Actions

·         Add: Put a file into the repo just because, for example start following it with Version Control.
·         Revision: What version a document is on (v1, v2, v3, and so on.).
·         Head: The most recent update in the repo.
·         Check out: Download a record from the repo.
·         Check in: Upload a record to the repository (in the event that it has changed). The file gets another revision number, and individuals can "check out" the most recent one.
·         Checkin Message: A short message depicting what was changed.
·         Changelog/History: A list of changes made to a file since it was made.
·         Update/Sync: Synchronize your documents with the most recent from the repository. This lets you get the most recent modifications all things considered.
·         Revert:This enables you to discard your local changes and reload the most recent version from the repository.

Advanced Actions
Branch: Create a different copy of a file/folder for private use (bug fixing, testing, and so on). Branch can be used both as a verb ("branch the code") and a noun ("Which branch is it in?").
Diff/Change/Delta: Finding the contrasts between two files. Helpful for seeing what changed between updates.
Merge (or patch): Apply the changes starting with one file then onto the next, to update it. For instance, you can merge highlights from one branch into another.
Conflict: When pending changes to a file are in contrast with one another (the two changes can't be applied).
Resolve: Fixing the changes that contradict one another and checking in the right version.
Locking: Taking control of a file so no one else can alter it until you open it. Some VCS  utilize this to keep away from conflicts.
Breaking the lock: Forcibly opening a file so you can alter it.
Check out for edit: Checking out an "editable" version of a document. Some VCSes have editable files as a matter of course, others require a command.

What's more, a run of the mill situation goes this way:
Tomadds a file (grocery.txt) to therepository. Hechecks it out, makes achange(puts "bread" on the list), and checks it back in with acheckin message ("Added required item."). The following morning, Hannahupdates her nearby working set and sees the most recent version of grocery.txt, which contains "bread".She can browse the changelog or diff to see that Tomadded"bread" the day before.
Best VCS Practices to Follow
If you want to use the VCS efficiently, then you need to follow a few practices of the Version Control System.
·         Commit often
When you are working on a feature, you need to take several steps to complete the whole feature. You should commit often and ensure that you are dealing with one change at a time. Make sure that each commit will comprise of a particular change.
·         Add a commit message
You can add a commit message to convey a message to other members of the team. It should be a short message that should explain what was done.
·         Avoid pushing or committing incomplete work
Although you are suggested to commit often, it does not mean that you should commit something that is not working.
·         Decide on common branch practices
Set common rules while working with branches and stick to it. The most common practices should be drafted before development and followed by every member of the team.

Recommended VCS Tools
Some of the popular Version Control Systems are listed as follows:
Git
Git is considered as a distributed version control system and is one of the most used VCS today. This VCS is popular as switching between two branches with git does not need the developers to change directory, as the developer will only have to ask git to make the changes in the branch they want to work with.
Mercurial
Mercurial is an open source distributed version control system which is written in Python and provides handy tools. In terms of learning, Mercurial is quicker to learn than Git.
SVN
Subversion or SVN is considered a centralized version control system. It is reliable and safe and is also utilized by a huge number of developers as well. It is, however, slower than the distributed VCS.

Conclusion
Using version control system can be a good thing, even if you are not writing very large lines of code. You can be assured of the backups alone when you use VCS. You can also take it slow by first learning to branch and merge many projects. If you are working on a small project, then branching and merging may not be an issue. We often come across experienced maintainers who keep track of the branches and patches. You can keep learning as there are plenty of guides for all the version control systems you use.


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