What does a source code control system do?

If you are creating or maintaining a text file---perhaps a document, or a script, or a program---a source code control system can do several things for you:

• It can keep track of the changes made to the file: what was changed, when it was changed, and by whom.
• It provides a version numbering scheme so you can tell which versions of a file are more recent.
• It can retrieve previous versions of your file, so that you can retreat to an older version if you decide that the current version is a bad idea, or if you want to see some text that has since been changed or deleted.
• If you accidentally delete the current file, you can get back the last version.
• If several people are working with the same file, a source code control system can help you coordinate your work and keep track of who did what, and when.

John Shipman, john@nmt.edu Last updated: 1996/01/06 21:41:36 UT URL: http://www.nmt.edu/tcc/help/tool/rcs/why.html