Version control, also known as source control, is a system that records changes to a file or set of files over time so that you can recall specific versions later.
Why Use Version Control
The Software Carpentries Git lesson outlines some great reasons:
- Nothing that is committed to version control is ever lost, unless you work really, really hard at it. Since all old versions of files are saved, it’s always possible to go back in time to see exactly who wrote what on a particular day, or what version of a program was used to generate a particular set of results.
- As we have this record of who made what changes when, we know who to ask if we have questions later on, and, if needed, revert to a previous version, much like the “undo” feature in an editor.
- When several people collaborate in the same project, it’s possible to accidentally overlook or overwrite someone’s changes. The version control system automatically notifies users whenever there’s a conflict between one person’s work and another’s.
Both teams and researchers alike benefit from version control. It allows for the determination of what was changed, when, and why, which is useful if a researcher were to come back to a project after a long break.
Not just software is version controlled in the digital age: anything that changes over time and needs to be shared should be stored with a version control system.
Support and Training
The University library hosts software carpentry lessons on version control using git.
