Version Control is a system that records changes to files over time so that you can recall specific versions later. It allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously while tracking all modifications, managing conflicts, and maintaining a complete history of changes.

Key Concepts

  • Repository: A storage location for your project files and their complete history
  • Commit: A snapshot of your project at a specific point in time
  • Branch: A parallel version of your repository for developing features
  • Merge: Combining changes from different branches
  • Clone: Creating a local copy of a remote repository

Popular Version Control Systems

Git (Most Popular)

# Basic Git commands
git init                    # Initialize a new repository
git add .                   # Stage all changes
git commit -m "message"     # Commit changes
git push origin main        # Push to remote repository
git pull origin main        # Pull latest changes

Other Systems

  • Subversion (SVN): Centralized version control system
  • Mercurial: Distributed version control like Git
  • Perforce: Enterprise-focused version control

Benefits in Software Development

  • Track and revert changes easily
  • Collaborate with team members effectively
  • Maintain multiple versions of your project
  • Create branches for experimental features
  • Backup and restore project history
  • Identify who made specific changes and when

Career Impact

98%
of companies use version control
$75K+
average salary for Git-skilled developers
85%
of job postings require Git knowledge