Github Version Control System

As discussed earlier, Github is a decentralized open-source version control software independently owned and managed by Microsoft. It is free and has tremendous features that work in close integration with Git. As the name suggests, Github is a home for all the Git-related data. Github service includes total control of access, hosting, and code management.

Advantages of Github

Some key advantages of Github are enlisted below.

1. Github helps in contributing to open-source projects.

• Users can have a track of code across versions.

• Github can serve as technical documentation for your projects.

• It enables its users to reach out and work in public.

• Github attracts huge counts of recruiters. You can show off your work with the help of it.

• It acts as a savior in managing your folders associated with the projects conveniently.

Difference Between Git and Github

Let’s disuss some differences between Dit and Github.

Git	Github
It is a version control system that manages source code history.	It is a cloud-based tool made in close integration with Git.
It is a tool that is downloadable locally in a system.	It is an online software with which one can push their code from their system using Git.
It is a tool primarily focused on VCS and code sharing.	It is focused primarily on centralized code hosting.
Git is a command-line tool.	Github is a web-administered tool.
Git is a desktop GUI-based tool.	Github is a web-based GUI tool.
Git does not provide user management features.	Github has a built-in user management feature.
Git has few tool configuration features.	Github has a marketplace for tool configuration.

Version Control System

A version control system is a software that enables its users to track changes made to a file or set of files over time so that it can be recalled later. It has a special kind of database that tracks any type of changes made in the file or repository. It also allows us to manage, host, develop and integrate source codes at once.

To understand more about it, consider few supportive points below.

1. The version control system enables users to manage various versions while developing software because developing software without version control is unsafe.

• Version control provides backup for source files in case of any uncertainty.

• It scales up itself according to the active users contributing to a file and also increases the development speed and agility among the team of developers.

• It provides continuous integration, tracking changes made to a file, branching, and merging, and traceability.

Types of Version Control System

The different types of Version Control System are as follows:

1. Localized Version Control System

As the name suggests, it is a localized common control method that is very simple. Being simple, it carries a drawback of high proximity of errors. In this approach, a user may forget to a directory in which accidentally has written the wrong file or has copied the files he doesn't want to. Another drawback of a localized version control system is that it has a single point of failure.

To handle this issue, developers developed a localized VCs that enables users to keep track of all the changes made under revision control and these changes are copied locally for backup.

2. Centralized Version Control System

In this version control system, a single server contains all the files. Some clients have access to check out files present in a central workplace.

The advantage of using a centralized version control system over a localized version system is that every single user on the system has information about the work they are doing and is also aware of the changes made in the project.

It is much easier to handle as compared to a localized version control system because a localized version uses server software to manage all the changes but centralized version control has administrators which can control other developers as well. It has the same disadvantage as the localized version control system.

3. Distributed Version Control System

Due to single-point failure in centralized and localized version control systems, developers find it hard to choose them since it uses a single server for the database and collaboration. To tackle this issue, Distributed Version Control (like Bitbucket, Git, Darcs) is used.

In a DVC, the user can always have a local copy of a file. The benefit of having a backed-up local copy is that clients get a clear image of not just the snapshots of the files but also the transparent view of the original repository. Moreover, the local repository has all the files and metadata present in the main repository.

DVCS allows automatic management branching and merging. It speeds up most operations except pushing and pulling. DVCS enhances the ability to work offline and does not rely on a single location for backups. If any server stops and other systems were collaborating via it, then any of the client repositories could be restored by that server.

Every checkout is a full backup of all the data. There are various advantages associated with DVCs. It allows automatic branching and merging and also speeds up most of the operations. DVCs are location-independent and cross-collaborative. Users can work offline and they do not need to rely on a single database since it is decentralized. In case of any uncertainty persisting with a server, the branch and merge feature can be restored from the other members present on the same workspace thus providing integrity and consolidated safe recovery. The DVCs need not be dependent on the versions or single servers to rollback or track changes since these are highly reliable and automatic.

Another advantage of using DVCS is that they are lighter, faster with a tiny footprint. The speed in DVCS is because users don't need to communicate through a remote server for every command. They can do everything locally and working on branches is much easier and convenient than CVCS.