We will cover below
- Version Control
- Git
- How Git Differs from Other Version Control Systems
Version Control
Version control systems (VCS) trackes the changes during the development. it can help us in identifying in reverting the code, understanding previous changes, and mentioning the affected files. Imagine you’re working on a project and it need to add a new feature but you came accross with issues due to previous changes. In such cases, version control simplifies the process of reverting or adjusting the changes while keeping a clear history of what was changed and where.
Here’s how version control helps developers:
- It records all the changes made to the codebase durning development.
- It provides a detailed history of codebase during development.
- It allows continuous updates and ensuring synchronization across all the teams.
Git
Git is a distributed version control system (DVCS), it means each contributor has a complete copy of the codebase, referred as a local repository. This decentralized approach help developers to work offline, manage their changes locally, and synchronize smoothly with others when required. Git eliminates the requirment of multiple directories to store various project versions, Git allow users to quickly update their changes and collaborate.
Git’s distributed nature makes it both powerful and user-friendly. Everyone has an independent clone of the project or codebase, it makes tasks like tracking the code, adding or rolling back the changes easy. A local database keeps track of all the modifications and providing a easy way to monitor progress without depending on external servers.
How Git Differs from Other Version Control Systems
Below is the key difference bewteen on the Git and other Version control (like CVS or Subversion)
Efficient Branching and Merging – In many version control systems, creating or branching a repository can take time based on the number of files (O(n)). On the other hand, Git completes this process in constant time (O(1)). This makes it highly efficient, regardless of repository size.
Comprehensive History Management – Git tracks the changes on project level not on per file level. This prevents loss of history when files are moved.
Flexible History Editing –
With appropriate permissions, Git allows users to modify their local repository’s history or even synchronize those changes with others.
Commit Identification with Hashes – Instead of numbering commits sequentially, Git assigns unique hashes (commit IDs) to changes. These IDs serve as references for specific updates and enable advanced functionality, like cherry-picking individual commits.