Jprenaud at 11:27, 10 February 2006

2006-02-10T11:27:35Z

New page

[[Category:Version Control]]

=Definition=
'''Version control''' 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.:

* '''versioning''' (!): 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.
* '''quality insurance''': mainly because of '''versioning''', see above.
* '''code sharing''': although version Control can be used for simple project with only one developer for its '''versioning''' 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' changes regularly and making development and bug tracking easier.

Wikipedia has a good [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Version_control description of version control] with useful links.

The Version Control system installed on our server <tt>[[Subversion server|source]]</tt> is [[Introduction to Subversion |Subversion]]. This is a ''centralised'' 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.

=Common terminology=
[for a centralised Version Control system, such as [[Introduction to Subversion |Subversion]] used on <tt>[[Subversion server|source]]</tt>]

* '''repository''': the project as it is stored on the version control server. It contains all files and their history.
* '''working copy''': local copy of the project. This is the copy stored on the developer's filespace that is used for development.
* '''checkout''': importing a project into a '''working copy'''.
* '''commit''': sending local changes to the '''repository'''.
* '''update''': importing changes from the '''repository''' (made by other developers) into the '''working copy'''. To minimise '''conflicts''', it is advised to '''update''' very often and incorporate co-workers changes.
* '''conflict''': describes the state of a file that has been changed in the '''working copy''' and on the '''repository'''. 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 '''conflicts''' are flagged by the Version Control system and need resolving before the next '''commit'''.

Version control - Revision history

Jprenaud at 11:27, 10 February 2006