Version control systems are also known under other names such as revision control or, in the case of software development, source code management systems. What they basically do is track and manage the revisions of digital files during the development process. This improves team efficiency, productivity, and reliability. In this article we’re going to briefly examine some of the most popular SCM/VCS solutions.
Revision control solutions are used in businesses of all kinds, from software development up to hi-tech CAD design and electronic modeling. Throughout this article our purpose is to point out the benefits of these systems. It is up to you to decide whether your business needs such a system. However, chances are that if some teams are working on some digital files as part of their routine, then they need one!
First we're going to explain the basic version control terminology and the strategy that most systems follow. Once we have grasped the core concepts, then we can understand the features and functions of the presented solutions. We can't promise in-depth reviews because these utilities are so extensive that their user manuals (documentation) average around 250+ pages.
We will first look at two open-source source-code management systems, mainly the traditional classic tried-and-proven Concurrent Versions System (abbreviated as CVS) and Subversion, which was designed to become the mostly-compatible successor to the aforementioned CVS. After these two, we'll also present a proprietary commercial utility, called Rational ClearCase and developed by an IBM division.
In the end, we can't neglect a few of the most amazing stand-alone revision control clients. By clients we refer to client interfaces that integrate into the Windows Explorer (usually) seamlessly. Surely, with other operating systems (*NIX) this isn't that valuable. However, we must also acknowledge the fact that while server(s) most of the time tend to run on Linux, most workstations run Windows.
Hopefully these hints have sparked enough interest in you, so let's begin!
