What is version control?

Version control is a tool used in computer programming that helps people keep track of changes they make to a project. Think of it like a big folder where you store all the files for your project.

As you work on your project, you make changes to those files, such as adding new features or fixing bugs. Version control helps you keep track of all those changes, so you can see what you’ve done over time and go back to an earlier version if something goes wrong.

It’s like having a time machine for your project! It’s also really useful for teams of people who are working on the same project because everyone can see what changes have been made and avoid overwriting each other’s work.

Who uses version control?

Version control is a useful tool for a wide range of people in the software development industry. Developers, programmers and software engineers often use version control to manage their code, keep track of changes and collaborate with others.

Project managers may use version control to keep track of progress and ensure that multiple people are working efficiently on the same project. They can also assign work to specific people and use it as a tool to keep track of people’s workloads.

Designers, content creators and other team members may also use version control to manage their own work and collaborate with developers on projects. It’s not just for programmers – many large companies use aspects of version control to manage many different types of work.

What are the common version control systems?

There are several popular version control platforms available, each with their own unique features and strengths.

• Git is one of the most widely used version control platforms, known for its speed, reliability and flexibility.
• SVN (Subversion) is another popular version control system that is often used in corporate environments.
• Mercurial is a distributed version control system that is known for its ease of use and scalability.
• Additionally, many code hosting platforms such as GitHub, Bitbucket and GitLab provide integrated version control tools, making it easy to store and collaborate on code online.

In this course, we will be using Git through GitHub – this is because it offers a very useful feature called ‘Codespaces’ which will allow everyone to access the course, whether you’re working on a mobile device or on a computer.

Prepare

Create yourself an account on the GitHub platform (it’s free).

You should follow usual best practices when creating your account – choose a username that represents you without giving away personal information, as this is shown publicly.

You will need to complete this task to get the most out of the rest of this course.