https://source.geography.bristol.ac.uk/mediawiki/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Version_control 2026-11-06T23:37:45Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.35.8 https://source.geography.bristol.ac.uk/mediawiki/index.php?title=Version_control&diff=1479&oldid=prev 2006-02-10T11:27:35Z

<p></p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>[[Category:Version Control]]<br /> <br /> =Definition=<br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Version control&#039;&#039;&#039; is the management of the files within a project. It is mostly used for code development. Version Control has many various obvious advantages, e.g.:<br /> <br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;versioning&#039;&#039;&#039; (!): every change done to the project is monitored (by whom?, when?) and documented (why?). If a particular change is subsequently judged inappropriate, Version Control makes it easy to roll back to the previous version for instance.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;quality insurance&#039;&#039;&#039;: mainly because of &#039;&#039;&#039;versioning&#039;&#039;&#039;, see above.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;code sharing&#039;&#039;&#039;: although version Control can be used for simple project with only one developer for its &#039;&#039;&#039;versioning&#039;&#039;&#039; capabilities, it is almost a requirement when the code is shared with other developers. Version Control allows the developers to keep an up-to-date version of the project, incorporate the others&#039; changes regularly and making development and bug tracking easier.<br /> <br /> Wikipedia has a good [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Version_control description of version control] with useful links.<br /> <br /> The Version Control system installed on our server &lt;tt&gt;[[Subversion server|source]]&lt;/tt&gt; is [[Introduction to Subversion |Subversion]]. This is a &#039;&#039;centralised&#039;&#039; Version Control system, which means that there is a central copy stored on a server and all changes go to the central copy before going to the different developers.<br /> <br /> =Common terminology=<br /> [for a centralised Version Control system, such as [[Introduction to Subversion |Subversion]] used on &lt;tt&gt;[[Subversion server|source]]&lt;/tt&gt;]<br /> <br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;repository&#039;&#039;&#039;: the project as it is stored on the version control server. It contains all files and their history.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;working copy&#039;&#039;&#039;: local copy of the project. This is the copy stored on the developer&#039;s filespace that is used for development.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;checkout&#039;&#039;&#039;: importing a project into a &#039;&#039;&#039;working copy&#039;&#039;&#039;.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;commit&#039;&#039;&#039;: sending local changes to the &#039;&#039;&#039;repository&#039;&#039;&#039;.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;update&#039;&#039;&#039;: importing changes from the &#039;&#039;&#039;repository&#039;&#039;&#039; (made by other developers) into the &#039;&#039;&#039;working copy&#039;&#039;&#039;. To minimise &#039;&#039;&#039;conflicts&#039;&#039;&#039;, it is advised to &#039;&#039;&#039;update&#039;&#039;&#039; very often and incorporate co-workers changes.<br /> * &#039;&#039;&#039;conflict&#039;&#039;&#039;: describes the state of a file that has been changed in the &#039;&#039;&#039;working copy&#039;&#039;&#039; and on the &#039;&#039;&#039;repository&#039;&#039;&#039;. Simple conflicts are usually handled automatically by the Version Control system, e.g. when you have modified the top of a file and somebody else the end of the same file. More complex &#039;&#039;&#039;conflicts&#039;&#039;&#039; are flagged by the Version Control system and need resolving before the next &#039;&#039;&#039;commit&#039;&#039;&#039;.</div>

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