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Version Control System (VCS)

VCS stands for Version Control System, and it is a type of software that allows developers to manage changes to software projects over time. With VCS, developers can create different versions or "branches" of the codebase, track changes made to each branch, and merge changes from one branch to another. It also provides a centralized repository for the codebase, allowing multiple developers to collaborate on a project and access the most up-to-date version of the code.

Centralized VCS

A centralized Version Control System (VCS) is a type of VCS where all changes to a software project are managed through a central repository. In this model, there is a single server that stores the entire history of the project, and all changes to the codebase are made and tracked on this server. Developers working on the project will typically check out a copy of the code from the central repository, make changes locally, and then commit those changes back to the central repository.

Examples of centralized VCS include Apache Subversion (SVN), Perforce, and IBM Rational ClearCase. While centralized VCS can be a good choice for smaller teams or projects, it can become more difficult to manage as the project grows larger and more complex. This is because all changes to the codebase are stored on a single server, which can lead to potential conflicts and issues with scalability.

Distributed VCS

Distributed Version Control System (DVCS) is a type of version control system where each developer has a complete copy of the codebase, including the entire history of the project, on their local machine. This is different from centralized version control systems, where developers typically work with a single copy of the codebase on a central server.

In a DVCS, developers can work on their own local copy of the codebase, make changes, create new branches, and commit changes locally. These local commits can then be shared with other developers through a process called "pushing" and "pulling" changes to and from remote repositories. Git is currently one of the most popular DVCS and is widely used in software development projects.

Repository

In Git, a repository (or repo for short) is a collection of files and folders that make up a software project along with the history of changes made to those files and folders over time. The repository in Git can be thought of as a database that tracks the evolution of the codebase. A repository in Git can be stored locally on a developer's machine or remotely on a server, such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

When a developer creates a new repository, Git creates a hidden folder called ".git" that contains all the information about the project history and its associated metadata. A repository in Git can contain one or more branches, which are separate lines of development that can be worked on in parallel. Each branch has its own history of changes, which allows multiple developers to work on different features or fixes without interfering with each other's work. These commits can then be pushed to a remote repository so that other developers can see and collaborate on the changes.

Remote Repository

In Git, a remote repository is a repository that is hosted on a server, such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, and is separate from the local repository on a developer's machine. The remote repository serves as a central location for sharing code with other developers and collaborating on software projects. When a developer clones a remote repository, Git creates a local copy of the codebase on the developer's machine. The local repository contains all the files, branches, and history of the remote repository, but it is not directly connected to the remote repository.

Developers can make changes to the code in the local repository and commit those changes to create a new version of the codebase. To share these changes with others, developers can push the commits from their local repository to the remote repository. This makes the changes available for other developers to see and work with. Similarly, if other developers have made changes to the code in the remote repository, developers can pull those changes into their local repository to update their copy of the codebase.

Read more about Git and Git commands here.