Table of Contents
What is Version Control System (VCS)? #
A Version Control System (VCS) is a tool that helps developers track, manage, and control changes made to source code over time.
It allows multiple people to work on the same project simultaneously without overwriting each other’s work.
Every change is recorded with details like who made it, when, and why — enabling easy rollback to previous versions if needed.
Example:
When working on a project, you can save different versions of your files (commits), view their history, and revert to any version if something goes wrong.
Types of Version Control Systems #
1. Local VCS #
- All version history is stored on your local machine.
- Changes are tracked locally, and there’s no collaboration feature.
- If your local data is lost, all version history is gone.
- Example: RCS (Revision Control System)
2. Centralized VCS (CVCS) #
- A single central server holds all project files and version history.
- Developers check out files from the server and commit back after changes.
- Collaboration is possible, but if the central server goes down — no one can commit or retrieve code.
Examples:
- CVS (Concurrent Versions System)
- SVN (Apache Subversion)
- Perforce
3. Distributed VCS (DVCS) #
- Every developer has a complete copy of the repository, including its history.
- You can work offline, commit locally, and later push your changes to a remote server (e.g., GitHub).
- No central dependency — safer and faster collaboration.
Examples:
- Git
- Mercurial
- Bazaar
Advantages of Version Control Systems #
- Collaboration
- Multiple developers can work on the same project simultaneously.
- Tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket help manage team contributions easily.
- Rollbacks (Version History)
- You can revert back to any previous version if an error occurs.
- Each commit acts as a snapshot of your project at a specific point in time.
- Branching & Merging
- Create separate branches for new features or bug fixes.
- Merge them back into the main branch after review.
- Keeps code clean and organized.
- Change Tracking
- Every change is logged with the author, date, and message.
- Makes it easy to understand who made what change and why.
Common Tools #
| Tool | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Git | DVCS | Most popular version control tool used in development. |
| GitHub | Git-based | Cloud platform for hosting Git repositories with collaboration features. |
| GitLab | Git-based | DevOps platform supporting CI/CD and project management. |
| Bitbucket | Git-based | Atlassian’s repository hosting service with Jira integration. |
