version control

noun

Version control records changes to code, including who changed what and when. It lets developers collaborate, compare changes and return to an earlier version.

Version control helped us find the change that had caused the error.

Keeping several versions of a file is a simple form of version control. In software development, a team uses a dedicated system. It stores the history of the code and shows which changes have been made.

How does version control help teams collaborate?

Several developers can work on the same project and merge their changes. They can review each other's work and compare it with an earlier version. If two changes overlap, a conflict may need to be resolved before they can be merged.

When a change causes an error, the history helps trace what was modified. A developer can then correct or revert the change.

What is distributed version control?

With a distributed version control system, developers can keep a local copy of the code and its history. This lets them inspect and record changes without a constant connection to a central server.

Version control also supports delivering software through an Glossary · In briefOTAPOTAP is the Dutch abbreviation for Development, Test, Acceptance, and Production. These are separate environments for building, testing, reviewing, and using software.Read more. Recording the code version during Glossary · In briefdeploymentA deployment is the process of installing and starting a chosen software version in a target environment so it can be tested or used there.Read more makes it possible to track what is still in development, what is being tested, and what is live.