Name: Lance A.

Elizalde Date: October 9, 2023

Address: Bitaug, Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor
Course and Year: BS Info Tech II

Version Control and Collaboration Tools

What is version control?
Version control, also known as versioning or source control, is the practice of
managing changes to source code. It’s about keeping a detailed account of every
modification made to the code, ensuring that these changes are both trackable and
reversible. A crucial tool in every developer’s kit, version control systems are the
bedrock of this process.
Why version control matters in software development
Version control plays an integral role in both software development and project
management. The tracking and versioning of source code changes in the repository
form the heart of this process.

Let’s highlight three key reasons why version control is important to both
software developers and product/project managers:
1. Streamlined release management
One key advantage of version control is its facilitation of release management. It
helps in maintaining different versions of software releases. These releases encapsulate
various enhancements and features developed for different customers, aligning with the
release roadmap.
2. Conflict prevention
Version control helps avoid code conflicts within the source code base. By
maintaining separate branches for different releases, it minimizes the chance of
changes overlapping and causing conflicts.
3. Tracking changes to digital artifacts
In addition to source code, version control helps track changes to other digital
artifacts involved in software development. This could include technical design
specifications, requirement documents, or any other deliverables that may be subject to
multiple iterations.
Types of version control
Version control systems come three main forms, each with its own set of
advantages and drawbacks:
1. Local version control
In local version control, changes are stored locally in the files as a hotfix or patch
before being pushed to a single version of code in a database. If any local versions or
the single code version become corrupted, retrieving changes can be a challenge.
2. Central version control
Central version control hosts different versions of the code in a centralized
repository. Users can access these versions, and push or pull changes as needed.
However, if the centralized repository becomes corrupted, retrieval can be difficult.
3. Distributed version control
Distributed version control is the most sophisticated of the three. Here, each local
repository fully mirrors the central repository, including its history.
This means that even if the central repository becomes corrupted, it’s not a problem.
Any local servers can send a copy of the history and repository to other local servers or
back to the central server.

Benefits of version control in project management

Version control isn’t just a tool for developers. It’s a powerful solution that can
revolutionize how you manage projects, regardless of industry. It offers a structured,
systematic, and reliable way to track changes in your project files, making it easier to
maintain a consistent workflow and enhance collaboration among your team members.
Let’s examine some of the key benefits that a version control system can bring to your
team and its projects:
Maintaining the latest version of all files: Version control ensures that everyone on
your team is always working from the latest version of any file or document. This means
you don’t have to worry about conflicting changes, duplication of work, or errors
stemming from outdated versions
Preserving a history of changes: With version control, you can see what changes
were made to a file, who made them, and when. This is useful for understanding the
evolution of a project and can be particularly valuable for auditing purposes
Facilitating collaboration: Version control allows multiple people to work on the same
file at the same time without overwriting each other’s changes. This makes it an
excellent tool for facilitating collaboration and improving efficiency
Preventing data loss: In the event of a mistake or an unexpected problem, version
control allows you to easily restore previous versions of a file. This can be a lifesaver
when it comes to preventing data loss
Increasing transparency and accountability: By tracking who made which changes
and when, version control increases transparency and accountability within your team
Simplifying code management: Version control provides a clear history of changes by
not only recording the changes made but also tagging them with timestamp information.
This traceability makes it easier to understand the evolution of the code over time
Identifying conflicts: Version control is instrumental in identifying and rectifying
incompatible changes before the code reaches the customer environment. This
proactive approach reduces errors and enhances the overall quality of the software
product
Popular version control systems and tools
Here’s a brief overview of some commonly used version control tools and their pros and
cons:
SVN — SVN, short for Subversion, is a centralized version control tool. While it’s
more advanced than local version control, it carries a risk: if the central repository
becomes corrupted, it’s difficult to retract the changes
TFS — Team Foundation Server (TFS) by Microsoft is also a centralized
version control system, sharing the same limitations as SVN. When coupled with
Azure DevOps, however, it can work with GIT to provide a distributed version
control system
Mercurial — This open-source, distributed version control system is preferred
over TFS and SVN because it mirrors the central repository and history in each
local repository, preventing total loss of information and data corruption
Git — Git is a distributed repository version control system similar to Mercurial. It
comes coupled with GitLab (a repository management software) and GitHub (a
platform to upload copies of the repository)
Best practices for implementing version control systems
Adopting version control is a significant step in software development and code
maintenance. If you’re implementing a version control system for the first time, it’s
crucial to follow certain best practices:
  Code submissions to the repository, also known as code commits, should be at
the most granular level of the change and include clear commit messages
 Code branches should support multiple versions of software releases and
patches
The version control system and repository should be compliant, with considerations for
disaster recovery, failover, and access control.

Version management vs. configuration management

While both version and configuration management aid in tracking changes and
improving the reliability of information, they serve different purposes. Version control is
one aspect of configuration management, tracking changes and allowing visibility into
what changes were made, when, and by whom. However, it doesn’t typically provide
insight into why changes were made or how those changes impact other aspects of the
project. That’s were configuration management steps in, allowing visibility into the
impact of changes on other project aspects. It’s mostly needed for large, complex
projects with many interrelated parts.
In conclusion, version control is a crucial practice in software development and project
management, enabling the systematic tracking and management of code changes and
digital artifacts. It ensures streamlined release management, conflict prevention, and
comprehensive tracking of changes, enhancing collaboration and accountability. Version
control systems can be local, centralized, or distributed, with Git being a widely used
distributed system. When implemented correctly, version control systems improve
transparency, data preservation, and code management, while best practices ensure
effective usage and compliance. Configuration management complements version
control by addressing broader project aspects, making them valuable for large and
complex projects.