Version Control Documentation

Version control is a fundamental aspect of software development, ensuring that changes to the codebase are managed efficiently and effectively. This page provides an overview of version control concepts and practices.

What is Version Control?

Version control is a system that tracks changes to a collection of files or documents over time. It allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously, while keeping track of who made what changes and when.

Key Features

Branching: Allows developers to create separate lines of development that can be merged back into the main codebase.
Committing: Records changes to the codebase, including who made the changes and what was changed.
Rollbacks: Allows developers to revert to a previous version of the code if needed.

Popular Version Control Systems

Git: The most widely used version control system, known for its speed, flexibility, and robustness.
Subversion (SVN): A centralized version control system that is widely used in enterprise environments.
Mercurial: An alternative to Git, known for its simplicity and ease of use.

Getting Started with Git

To get started with Git, you will need to install the Git client on your computer. You can download the latest version from the Git website.

Basic Commands

git init: Initializes a new Git repository.
git clone [repository URL]: Clones a repository from a remote server.
git add [file]: Adds a file to the staging area.
git commit -m "[commit message]": Commits the staged changes to the repository.
git push: Pushes the local commits to the remote repository.

Best Practices

Use a consistent commit message format: This makes it easier to search and review commits.
Regularly commit small, meaningful changes: This makes it easier to track changes and identify issues.
Use branches for feature development: This allows you to work on new features without affecting the main codebase.