Introduction to version control

What is Version Control?

Version control is a system that allows you to track and manage changes to your code over time. It is especially helpful in collaborative environments, as it enables multiple developers to work on the same project without overwriting each other's work. With version control, you can also easily revert to previous versions of your code, compare changes, and resolve conflicts when they arise.

Why Version Control is Important:

• Collaboration: Multiple developers can work on the same project, and version control keeps track of everyone’s changes. It ensures that no one’s work is lost.
• History: You can view and restore previous versions of your project, which is crucial for debugging or undoing mistakes.
• Backup: With version control, you have a secure backup of your code stored in a repository. If something goes wrong, you can always go back to a working version.
• Branching and Merging: You can work on new features or bug fixes in isolation by creating separate branches, and then later merge them into the main project without conflicts.

Types of Version Control

There are two main types of version control systems:

1. Local Version Control

   • A local version control system manages changes to a project on a single computer.
   • Changes are tracked on your local machine, and no information is shared with others unless manually done.
   • Example: A simple backup system where you create copies of a project folder over time.

2. Distributed Version Control

   • A distributed version control system (DVCS) allows for a decentralized approach, where each developer has a complete copy of the entire project history.
   • Changes are tracked locally but can be shared and merged with other developers’ copies of the project.
   • Example: Git, Mercurial.

Git: The Most Popular Version Control System

Git is one of the most widely used distributed version control systems. It is fast, flexible, and designed to handle everything from small to large projects. Git allows developers to manage code changes locally on their own machine and then push or pull changes to and from a remote repository (such as GitHub or GitLab) to collaborate with others.

Key Features of Git:

• Branching: Git makes it easy to create branches, allowing you to work on different parts of a project independently.
• Merging: After working on a branch, you can merge the changes back into the main codebase (usually main or master).
• Commit History: Every change you make in Git is stored in a commit, allowing you to track progress and revert to earlier versions if needed.
• Distributed Nature: Each developer’s local repository is a complete copy of the project, meaning you don’t rely on a single central server to work.

Common Version Control Terms

• Repository (Repo): A directory or storage space where your project’s files and version history are stored.
• Commit: A snapshot of the changes made to your project. Each commit has a unique identifier (SHA) and contains information about the changes made, who made them, and when they were made.
• Branch: A parallel version of the repository. You can create branches to develop features or fix bugs independently without affecting the main codebase.
• Merge: The process of integrating changes from one branch into another.
• Pull Request (PR): A request to merge your changes into another branch, typically used in collaborative projects.
• Clone: Copying a repository from a remote server to your local machine.
• Push: Uploading your changes to a remote repository.
• Pull: Downloading changes from a remote repository to your local machine.
• Fork: Copying someone else’s repository to your own account, which allows you to make changes independently of the original repository.

Conclusion

Version control is an essential tool in modern software development. It helps developers manage and track code changes, collaborate efficiently, and ensure that project history is preserved. In the next lessons, we will dive deeper into Git and explore how to set it up, use it in practice, and leverage its powerful features to streamline your development process.