What are Source Controls?
Source control is an important part of software development, but there are still many people who don’t even know what it is. For those who are new to the software world, source control can seem like a mysterious concept that only the experts understand. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at source control and answer some common questions about it. We’ll cover topics like what source control is, how it works, and why you should use it for your projects. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of what source controls are and why they are essential in today’s digital world.
What are Source Controls?
Source control is the management of changes to documents, computer programs, large web sites, and other collections of information. Changes are usually identified by a number or letter code, and maintained by a person or team with responsibility for the document.
The most common type of source control is revision control, also known as version control or source code management (SCM). With revision control, multiple versions of a document can be maintained, and changes to the document can be tracked over time. This makes it possible to roll back changes if necessary, and to compare different versions of a document side-by-side. Revision control is an important part of the software development process, and is used by developers working on both open source and closed source projects.
There are a number of different revision control systems available, including Git, Mercurial, Subversion, and CVS. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to choose the right system for your needs. In general, Git is considered to be the most popular revision control system today.
The Different Types of Source Controls
There are three primary types of source control: local, centralised and distributed.
Local source control is the most basic form of source control. It involves storing all files in a single location on a server or development machine. This type of source control is typically used by individual developers working on small projects.
Centralised source control is more sophisticated than local source control. It involves storing files in a central repository, which can be accessed by multiple users. This type of source control is typically used by teams of developers working on larger projects.
Distributed source control is the most advanced form of source control. It involves storing files in a distributed repository, which can be accessed by multiple users from different locations. This type of source control is typically used by organisations with large distributed teams working on complex projects.
The Benefits of Source Controls
There are many benefits to using source control, including the ability to track changes, revert back to previous versions if needed, and work collaboratively with others.
Source control also known as version control or revision control is the management of changes to documents, computer programs, large web sites, and other collections of information. Files are stored in a central location called a repository. Each person who needs to make a change “checks out” the file from the repository, makes their changes, and then “checks in” the file once they’re done. This way, everyone always has access to the most up-to-date version of the file.
There are many benefits to using source control, including:
The ability to track changes: When you make a change to a file under source control, it is tracked in the repository. This means you can always see who made a change and when they made it. You can also see what changed between two versions of a file.
The ability to revert back to previous versions: If you make a mistake or want to go back to an older version of a file for any reason, you can do so easily with source control. Simply check out the older version from the repository and start working again.
The ability to work collaboratively with others: When multiple people need to work on the same files, source control can be hugely helpful. It allows everyone to work on their own copy of
How to Implement Source Controls
Assuming you are starting from scratch, the first thing you need to do is decide which source control system you want to use. For this article, we will assume you want to use Git.
The next step is to create a repository. This is where all of your code will be stored. You can do this either locally on your computer or on a remote server. We recommend using a remote server, such as Github, so that your code is backed up in case something happens to your local copy.
Once you have created your repository, you will need to add your code to it. With Git, this is done with the “add” and “commit” commands. The “add” command adds new files or changes to existing files to the staging area. The “commit” command saves these changes in the repository.
You will need to do this every time you make a change to your codebase. Once you have made several commits, you can then push these changes to the remote server so that they are available to everyone else who has access to the repository.
Conclusion
Source control systems are an essential part of any software development project. They provide developers with the ability to securely store and manage their code, track changes, share work with teammates, and make sure everyone is on the same page. By using a source control system in your development projects, you can ensure that all of your team members are working from the most up-to-date version of the codebase at any given time.
