Version Control

Version Control is a system that records every change to a project’s files, maintaining a complete history of who changed what, when and why. Git is the most widely used version control system in the world.

How it works #

Every change is recorded as a “commit” with a descriptive message, an author and a timestamp. The system maintains the project’s entire history: you can return to any previous version, compare different versions and understand how the code evolved over time. With Git, every developer has a complete copy of the history on their own computer.

What it’s for #

Without version control, code lives on shared folders where accidental overwrites are the norm and nobody knows which is the “good” version. With version control, every change is tracked and reversible, conflicts between developers are managed in a structured way, and the project’s history is a resource, not a mystery.

When to use it #

Always, on any software project with more than one file or more than one developer. The absence of version control is the first sign of a project out of control. GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket are platforms that add collaboration (Pull Requests, Issue tracker) on top of Git.