Version Control Software (VCS) is one of the tools used in Software Development to track and thus manage the process of making alterations to the project’s files. Also known as Revision Control Software(RCS), it is an amalgamation of practices and technologies wherein changes are made particularly in documentation, source code, web pages, specification documentations that includes graphical elements. Any type of modifications such as rectifying the errors or adding a new
functionality that have been made to the above mentioned files, involve changes to other several files.
A Developer’s Tool
Considering the time and effort involve, Version Control Software was made to alleviate the complexities developers encounter. With the use of VCS, there is no need for a web developer to work on the software’s master copy. A programmer using version control can seamlessly alter the application’s working copy that is handled by their VC application. After all the desired changes have
been made, developers then register the same with a detailed note.
This Software Configuration Management Software then applies the modifications done to the repository in a manner that all the changes done in the past can be set apart, listed with descriptive notes and also reversed if at all required. The repository can be on any machine, either servers or
clients. Developers can use their own version control or even a hosted service.
Exclusivity of VCS
The exclusivity Version Control Software provides is that it effectively manages the changes that have been applied by many programmers. And if the system is more rigid, then each programmer is provided an opportunity to lock the file they intend to work on. The intriguing thing is that it will then block the access to other programmers to use the same file till the time the one working on it is done with it. This can be a hindrance due to the fact that the programmers may need to alter other parts of the same file
and it cannot be done when the file is locked for the use of one programmer exclusively.
However, the modern systems are much flexible as they dispense with locking, monitors the registered changes and merges them automatically if they fit well. If in case two programmers are changing the same functionality in a file, to avoid the conflicts, in such a case version control detects the error to be
corrected.
Benefits of using Version Control
1.It organizes set of files that have been made over time 2.It allows referring previous revisions of files and making comparisons between different revisions 3.It keeps accurate and retrievable log of different file versions 4.It allow several programmers to work on the same development project, regardless of their
geographical location
5.It facilitates inter-developer communication, release and bug management, stability of code, experimentation, attribution as well as authorization of the changes made by developers 6.It ensures central coordinating force 7.It reduces costs involved in maintenance 8.It improves productivity of the development team 9.It enhances development workflow
10.It saves a lot of time involved in finding defects
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