version control
Also called: version control system, VCS
A way of keeping every saved state of a project, with who changed what, when and why, so any earlier state can be viewed or restored.
Without version control, a team shares files by copying them (pricing-final-v3.xlsx) and overwriting each other's work. With it, every change is saved as a separate step with an author, a date and a note. Nothing is lost: you can compare any two states, see who introduced a line and go back to yesterday's version. Git is the most widely used version control system today; GitHub is a website that hosts Git projects and adds collaboration on top.
Example
CatChow's delivery price on the website changed from 49 to 59 UAH. Thanks to version control, Sofia can find the exact change, its author, the date and the linked pull request in a couple of minutes.
Common mistakes
Treating version control as a backup tool only. Its main value for a team is the explained history: small changes with clear messages.
Learn it in the course
- Why teams keep history: version control without fear · What version control is, how Git differs from GitHub, and why looking around a repository can't break anything.