Version control

Version Control fundamentally deals with the changes made to a file. Version control addresses issues such as Team Co-ordination, Version Tracking, etc.

Proper version control makes sure that unless otherwise specified only one member of a development team can get access to a file. The version control system places a lock on the file that is currently used by a team member making it inaccessible to other users for development. However, others can view the file in read only mode. The file can be accessed by others for development only when the file has been "checked-in" by the current user.

Version tracking ensures that all the files where changes have been incorporated are saved and tagged separately using numbering schemes called version numbers. Version numbers give an idea about the various change cycles that a particular file has gone through. For e.g. let us assume that the file that is checked out has version number 1.0. When it is checked in after changes have been incorporated the number is automatically updated as 1.1. Now 2 copies of the same file reside in the database, where 1.1 is the latest revision. When a particular file number is 1.7 it can be understood that there have been 7 revisions made to the particular file. But the version numbering scheme can vary for different projects and hence it is advisable to ascertain the numbering scheme before arriving upon the number revisions made to the file. Labels can also be used for easier identification of the file.

The difference between revisions, versions and variants is not always clear. Strictly, a new revision fixes faults, as already indicated. Before a meaningful baseline can be defined, its constituent CIs must be uniquely identified, and stored so they can be accessed as they were when the baseline was taken. Version control, or controlling the revisions, versions and variants of CIs, is complex.