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lirec:version_control_guide [2009-02-04 15:06] – davegriffithslirec:version_control_guide [2009-02-04 15:08] – davegriffiths
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 [[:Version control]] is a way to develop software in a scalable way. Even if you are the only person working on a project, it enables you to write code with more confidence, as you know you have every change tracked - no more wondering what you did which broke everything, as you can find out easily. You can also tag points in development for retrieval later on - it's a good idea to do this before working on big structural changes which could cause instability while you work on them. [[:Version control]] is a way to develop software in a scalable way. Even if you are the only person working on a project, it enables you to write code with more confidence, as you know you have every change tracked - no more wondering what you did which broke everything, as you can find out easily. You can also tag points in development for retrieval later on - it's a good idea to do this before working on big structural changes which could cause instability while you work on them.
  
-Version control can be also be used in order to share development between groups of people, up to hundreds of developers. It takes care of merging all the changes together (which often worries people new to version control) but it generally works well, and if it finds a confusing case (normally where two developers have changed the same line of code) it asks you to confirm what it's doing.+Version control can be also be used in order to share development between groups of people, up to hundreds of developers. It takes care of merging all the changes together, which often worries people new to version control but it generally works well, and if it finds a confusing case (normally where two developers have changed the same line of code) it asks you to confirm what it's doing.
  
 =====Usage pattern===== =====Usage pattern=====
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 The general idea is that code lives on a remote server, and you keep a local copy of the source on your hard drive. You edit files and compile as normal then 'commit' your changes to the remote server. You also need to periodically update your code to get changes that other people have made.  The general idea is that code lives on a remote server, and you keep a local copy of the source on your hard drive. You edit files and compile as normal then 'commit' your changes to the remote server. You also need to periodically update your code to get changes that other people have made. 
  
-The smaller the changes, and the more frequently you check in code, the less hassle you will cause for yourself and other people. This is an example day's work:+The smaller the changes, and the more frequently you commit code, the less hassle you will cause for yourself and other people in the long run. This is an example day's work:
  
   * First thing, updated to get the latest code   * First thing, updated to get the latest code
  • lirec/version_control_guide.txt
  • Last modified: 2009-02-09 11:01
  • by 81.188.78.24