For any software development project, the source codes are essential to the work that must be protected in a safe and secure environment. When you need to make changes to the source codes or share them with others, managing these files will become very complicated because several people may need to work on the same project in a software team. Recording times, backing up source codes, and accessing detailed history are the essentials of software project development, and a version control system will provide you with these features.
History of version control systems
The history of version control systems for software projects goes back to the 1960s when a company like IBM tried to solve source code development problems by providing a tool called IEBUPDATE. This IBM tool was the beginning of the following powerful software in this field, and a few years later, in the 1970s, Bell Labs made one of the best version control systems, Source Code Control System, available to the audience.
This tool was developed in C language and provided excellent conditions for storing files, editing them,, and tracking changes over time. The CVS version control system, or Concurrent Versions Systems, was developed in 1986 and made available to users, and one of the best systems,, SVN, was presented in 2000 andy used in projects today.
Today, the most famous version control system can be called Git, which was released in 2005 by Linus Torvalds and is based on building repositories and using the features of creating desired branches while managing projects and source codes.
What are the types of software version control systems?
We can consider three main models for version control systems, categorized based on goals, accesses, and capabilities. Of course, a specific application is defined for each of these systems, and it is better to use each in the same application.
Local version control systems
The systems used locally manage versions and stored locally; no external server is defined for this. You will be using a local database; the developers will each have a managed local systemged, and nothing is shared in this model.
Central version control system
In a centralized version control system, a central repository is shared between all developers. Each user can get their dedicated version and make changes to the desired files. In this model, when you perform an operation and a commit occurs, the changes will be directly stored in the repository. Unlike distributed systems, the developer now commits to a repository in this way.
Distributed version control system
A distributed version control system will provide the information the developer needs, and changes can be made to the desired file whenever required. After making the changes, you can synchronize with the server at the expected time and move the project forward. One of the main advantages of this model over central version control systems is that you will have a combination of the two models, and can make changes to the project if the server is unavailable.
One of the best examples of version control systems is Git, which is widely used by large and small companies today.
Why do we need to use version control systems?
Software development companies or freelancers always need a management system to manage their projects. Most software projects have more than one member, and different people need to work on these projects at other times. Also, accurate recording of the time of changes and the type of changes were among the problems that had become severe challenges for programmers before the release of version control systems.
The existence of a platform for secure code synchronization, and the possibility of fast and hassle-free code sharing and tracking have intensified the need for professionals to seek to create systems that make things easier. Some of the most important reasons that have led to the vital demand for VCSs today are as follows:
- The possibility of fast storage and reliable recovery of codes to different versions
- Save code development process
- Access to the capabilities of comparing codes and follow-up transparently
- The possibility of tracking code development and ease of teamwork
- The possibility of branching for the source of projects and better management
What are the benefits of using a version control system?
Years ago, the lack of a version control tool could have caused many problems for IT professionals and programmers. When IT professionals work on different files, a file may become corrupted or deleted from the system altogether. If there are no provisions for this, you will likely lose your files.
A sound version control system or version control system offers several advantages, the best of which are the following.
Track changes
Being aware of all the changes applied to the files is one of the first advantages that have encouraged professionals to use these tools at work. After logging in to your account, you can see the settings and changes applied in a highly accurate and fully timed version control system and know when the changes were made to the developed codes.
In modern version control tools, it is possible to compare changes by showing different lines of code and providing line-by-line comparisons between different versions of files. If you need to go back to an earlier version in some situations, this feature is available, and in general, change management is provided in the version control tools.
teamwork
Achieving excellent team collaboration is one of the benefits of a sound version control system. In these systems, files and developed codes can be easily stored and shared with other team members or friends professionally. Conditions for significant savings will be provided in this case, and teams can complete programming projects much faster.
An online developer can upload files to his local system at any time and make the necessary changes to the files. After this, it will be possible to register the changes so that other team members will also be informed about these changes and the project’s progress.
Integration with programming environments
As a web developer, you must be very interested in using integrated development environments, of which VSCode may be the most famous. One of the best features of version control systems is the ability to integrate with this type of code development environment, so you will no longer have to worry about getting repositories and making changes to files. Finally, after performing the activity and completing part of the project, you can easily register the changes on the version control system with the required permission. This work is possible in the same integrated development environment.
Of course, if you want to use dedicated tools to communicate with the version control system like GitHub, quality software with attractive graphical interfaces has been developed on different platforms such as Linux, Windows, and Macintosh, most of which are also available for free. Developers are located.
Free environment
In most cases, you can use the version control system for free. However, if you are looking for additional features for professional use, a powerful version control tool will provide you with paid and professional characteristics. It must be said infamous systems like GitHub, you only need to create a new user account and start developing your project by communicating in the VSCode environment.
The free features of this tool are available to the users, and there is no need to pay additional fees to get these basic features. Achieving features such as CI/CD for large enterprises and specialized projects will require a cost that pales compared to the benefits.
transparency
Transparency in the development of projects is another benefit of a version control system, and this will be possible by accurately recording detailed histories. Also, if a file is deleted or added to the project at a particular time, the complete information of the user who did this is available. You can easily see the users responsible for the project and which people have collaborated in this way so far.
Glossary of version control systems
If you want to use quality version control software at a professional level, it is better to familiarize yourself with some technical words and terms in this regard. At the beginning of work, some of these specialized words may seem dumb because you are unfamiliar with their usage. However, it will only take a few weeks to get a good handle on these terms and utilize the capabilities of a version control system using them.
Types of software version control systems
It may be difficult to single out one version control system as the best because there are currently more than ten tools in this field with unique capabilities. After a general review and considering your needs, you can choose the best, which can be based on the free, easy to use, and high security of the version control system.
The following introduces 12 of the best version control systems with free and paid features.
GitHub version control system
GitHub can be considered one of the most famous and popular tools,. That you can use the basic features of this platform only by registering with an email. With a bit of searching, you will find thousands upon thousands of projects developed using various programming languages and made available to platform users for free.
It can be said that significant software and IT companies also operate on this platform and have provided their free and open-source projects using repositories for users to use. GitHub is generally a social network for software developers and can be considered an indispensable tool that offers high-performance speed and individual security.
It is interesting to know that this version control system was provided by the creator of Linux, Linus Torvalds, which teams can use today and quickly advance their projects and programming. Among the most essential features of GitHub, the following can be mentioned:
- The ability to browse codes quickly and easily, which is secure on the cloud
- The possibility of benefiting from additional and added tools for further progress
- Access to a safe and unique environment developed by secure methods
- The ability to use other tools for collaboration between teams
- Access to detailed change histories and times
GitLab version control system
If your project requires CI/CD functionality, the GitLab version control system can be the best option in this case. This version control system is designed precisely for the project cycle in the form of DevOps, and you will enjoy its professional and unique features. GitLab will provide you with all the basic features, and other features to access more features.
GitLab was founded in 2014, and after more than 18 years of operation, GitLab has specialized staff in more than 65 countries. The main goal of establishing this company was to help increase the quality of software development and increase efficiency; in the meantime, increasing speed is one of the most critical demands of GitLab developers.
The power of GitLab’s version control system makes it a top priority for IT professionals for the following reasons.
- Decreasing DuPont cycle time and improving work performance
- Ability to access code management, audit management, and event recording capabilities in a detailed manner
- The ability to detect errors in a faster time
- Providing a secure and integrated environment for software development teams to work remotely
Apache Subversion version control system
Apache Subversion version control system is one of the essential products of this famous company, which is also known as SVN. This tool has been provided to the audience as an open source, licensed under the terms of Apache. The most essential features of the Apache Subversion version control system are individual security, history tracking and management, permission control, data recovery, and performance management.
By releasing this tool, Apache company has tried to simplify controlling software versions so that good work quality, high-performance speed, and excellent efficiency can be achieved in different programming languages. It is possible to install this tool in Windows and Mac environments, and the following features can be seen in this version control system:
- Easy Branching and Tagging process
- Suitable conditions for Flow management and the ability to automatically track Merges
- Ability to analyze histories
AWS CodeCommit version control system
The AWS CodeCommit version control system is designed precisely for professionals who intend to create projects on AWS and are looking for a powerful and unique tool. This tool will provide you with security, and it is possible to develop scalable and integrated repositories on AWS CodeCommit. It should be noted that after using this tool, you can easily communicate with other means of this platform and have access to an integrated environment for managing projects and codes.
Amazon has provided this tool to users at a reasonable price, and one of its best advantages is the possibility of personalization and reliable and instant backup.
Optimized development capability and the possibility of creating different branches while working
Powerful and unique integration with other Amazon company tools
High security in the cloud
Helix Core version control system
Helix Core version control system is one of the most reliable tools built commercially for professional projects. This version control system will speed up your development and can integrate with other development environments. This version control system supports different files, and you will not face any problems.
The exciting thing is that Helix Core is used by significant software development and gaming companies such as NVIDIA and EA, and perhaps its most important feature is the impressive performance speed of this system.
Suitable for large companies and freelancers
Strong support and many educational resources
The existence of various interactive tools
Access to a unique user interface
Ability to receive detailed reports
Microsoft Foundation Server version control system
The Microsoft Team Foundation version control system has been released at the Enterprise level to give a new flavor to project management at this level. Suppose you are looking for professional capabilities and you want to use a powerful tool that offers unique monitoring system version management. In that case, the Microsoft Foundation Server tool will be one of the best.
This version control system supports the most important programming languages, and you can count on its speed and capabilities. The most important advantages of using Microsoft Foundation Server are as follows.
High security with cloud capabilities
Ability to review histories and changes quickly
Access to an easy-to-use system
Mercurial version control system
The mercurial version control system is considered a competitor to Git, used by freelancers and companies large and small. Among the unique capabilities of Mercurial, it should be noted that it is easy to use, and you can manage projects in this tool in a very detailed manner. This software is developed with Python and can be used for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.
Ease of use can be considered the most crucial feature of the Mercurial version control system, which will bring you a high speed of project progress. Other Mercurial features include the following, which has led some companies to consider this tool better than Git.
Access to powerful user interfaces
The possibility of using unique web interfaces
The similarity of commands to Git, SVN, and…
to be portable
Simplicity in learning
Bitbucket version control system
Bitbucket’s version control system is one of Git’s solutions that will allow development teams to interact better and manage repositories. In addition to the free and essential parts you will get by signing up for this system, Bitbucket also has professional features and can be used to develop commercial projects.
This version control system will allow team members to add messages during development and review recent changes with a single request whenever needed. Integration with Jira is one of the other advantages of this version control system, and one of the best features of Bitbucket is access to internal CI/CD. You can also access the following features in this tool.
- Ability to control permissions and access
- Access to the professional reporting system
- Professional management dashboard
- Ability to use interactive tools
- The possibility of automatic testing and implementation
Visual Studio Team Services version control system
VSTS tool is developed based on a client-server model, and you will have access to the benefits of distributed method in this tool. It should be noted that this version control tool is available to users on multiple platforms, and the manufacturer has developed it with C# and C++ programming languages. One of the best user interfaces is provided by VSTS, and if you need a professional DevOps tool, you can open a particular account on VSTS capabilities.
Due to the unique design of the environment of this tool, developers can have better interaction with each other, and other features include the ability to learn and use this tool without any problems quickly.
- Access to a professional environment for code development
- Supported by Microsoft
- Simplicity in use
- Unique project management and project planning capabilities
- Providing an environment for a unique interaction between developers
CVS version control system
The CVS or Concurrent Version Control system will provide all the basic needs of developers, and in this software model, you will have access to a client-server system. Although CVS was developed years ago, you can have features such as branch control and permission control in this tool and move projects forward quickly.
In this version control tool, you can record changes to files, call files and share them between different developers. Other advantages of this version control system include the following:
- Free and open-source platform
- Ability to copy and update in the local system
- High security in code development
- The possibility of team members working simultaneously on projects
- Storing different snapshots at certain times of projects
- It can be used on other platforms, such as Windows and Linux
Monotone version control system
Monotone’s version control system may not be as popular as other tools, but you can get various features from this tool. This environment was presented almost 19 years ago, after which it became one of the best version control tools in the world. You can use Monotone on Windows, Linux, Mac, and Unix platforms, and other features are open source and free.
Monotone is built on the idea of a distributed model, which is why it can be safely used in various situations and small and large projects. This tool can track file changes, save them, manage history and times, store files in a secure environment, and restore them. It is interesting to know that this tool is developed by a Canadian company and with C++ language,. It will provide a wide range of features such as the following to freelancers and software development companies.
- Good support
- Focus on integration rather than performance
- Developed to facilitate distributed operations
- Easy to learn
- Access to a user-friendly environment
- Portable and lightweight design
Bazaar version control system
The Bazaar version control system is perhaps one of the most popular tools in this field, part of the GNU project. Experts regularly update bazaar, and the conditions for installing and using this tool for free are easily provided. It is better to know that after launching the Bazaar version control system, you can use additional tools and get exclusive project management capabilities.
The market can be installed and run on various platforms and operating systems. Canonical organization sponsors this project to make it one of the best version control systems in the world. This tool is also developed based on the client-server model, that allows you to manage your source codes and files in distributed mode.
Indeed, the following benefits will make you have one of the best experiences in this field after installing the Bazaar version control system:
- The commands and software environment are close to famous tools such as CVS and SVN
- The possibility of developing source codes without the need for a central server
- Free hosting using websites like Launchpad and Sourceforge
- Support for all types of file formats
- Easy to install, set up and use
- High speed in performance and unique efficiency
The version control system is one of the first requirements for software development and software projects in a safe and secure environment. Version control software provides everything you need to manage versions, and software teams can complete tasks best using these tools. You can share your comments or questions about version control tools with us in the rest of this article.