Version control is the practice of tracking changes to software code. Its software helps teams keep track of all modifications made and note work that still needs to stand done. As software development continues to accelerate, processes and systems can help software teams work more efficiently. If something goes wrong, they help developers look back and check past code versions and find out what went wrong.
Here are the articles to explain, What are the types and advantages of version control?
While version control is a process in itself, several different tools are available to aid in its process.
3 Types of version control tools
There are many applications related to version control. Examples of different types of version control tools include:
- System: the system’s stand is used to track changes in software development over time. Its systems allow developers to automatically track changes and view the history of code changes over time. Systems can centralize or distribute. A centralized system has a central repository where all data stands stored. While a distributed system has a series of smaller repositories.
- Client: A client is a software development tool that can use with a version control system. Clients allow developers to manage projects, increase development integration speed, and provide a graphical user interface (GUI).
- Hosting Software: Hosting software is a product that contains and manages several different cloud repositories. They can provide, or at least integrate with, other online tools that can help with version control systems. Hosting software allows developers to set up a master repository. This master repository keeps track of all data, determines which developers have access to certain code, and serves as the single source of truth for code in a given system.
4 Advantages of Using Version Control
Version control brings a wide range of advantages. Some of these include:
- Track changes and updates: Make it simple to track code changes as they occur. By tracking changes, developers can understand what went wrong with the code and which mistakes to avoid again. This also helps reduce duplication and other mistakes from the start.
- Management: Helps managers not only understand the code but also their developers. Managers can use it to understand who was involved, why the change was made, and the timeline for the change to be implemented.
- Efficiency: Helps to keep the process of updating the code. By staying organized in the process, developers can quickly see changes made to the code in the past and immediately notify other developers of any updates they have made or need to make.
- Compliance: The process can also help with an organization’s compliance process. By documenting the process, organizations can obtain the records needed by IT teams for potential audit trails.
Best Practices of Version Control
To get the most value from version control, companies should follow these best practices:
- Commit message: After committing to a change to software code, the person who made the change should be able to explain the change. They should be able to explain what change was made, why it stood needed, and what steps they took to change it. This helps the team understand and remember why other team members made changes to the code.
- Testing and Reviewing: Code changes should test and review before existing implementation and committing the changes to the shared repository. This review provides insight into code quality and helps to improve code quality. This also helps the team to become more efficient as team members can reuse code and improve the quality of the output.
- Make small commits: While it may be tempting to make big changes, developers should focus on making smaller commits, or smaller changes. Small commits make it easier for team members to understand changes and roll them back if something goes wrong.
Version Control and Version Control Systems
While version control and version control systems have the same goal, they are not necessarily the same thing. It is a process, and a system is a technical system specifically designed for the process. In other words, a system is just one of several different technologies, applications, and best practices that can be used for the process. Its clients and hosting software are also technologies that facilitate the process.
