By IT Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
Version control systems (VCS) are critical for software developers and other IT professionals who work with code, as it allows them to compare changes over time, revert to previous states, and see who’s contributing to a codebase. In the event of a disaster that deletes files and code, version control allows IT pros to quickly spin up the most recent version, making it critical to recovery workflows.
Git is a widely used open-source and distributed VCS that forms the backbone of GitHub and other popular code repositories. Other options include Subversion and Mercurial. Git’s features include version tracking in a single record, the ability to create code branches so that team members can fix bugs and test new features in isolation, and a log of commits. The ability to branch and merge allows developers to work on the same project simultaneously without creating code conflicts and other issues.
While solo developers may choose to skip using a VCS, it’s an essential element for teams because it allows stakeholders to document every single step in building a particular piece of software. The collaborative elements of version control are likewise critical for avoiding damage and comparing work. Depending on the project’s needs, a VCS can be local (i.e., running on a user’s local system), centralized (i.e., kept on a server), or distributed (via a repository like GitHub).
