Version control doesn’t apply to me.  Right?

Like most people in this business, I’d heard the term version control here and there and knew roughly what it was but always assumed it didn’t serve me any purpose as a web developer.  This could not have been further from the truth.

Whether or not you even know what they are you are probably using your own form of a version control system all the time.  For instance, remember the other day when you decided to change that one design/code just a bit but you didn’t want to lose the original look, you know, just in case?  So you duplicated the file(s) in question, renamed it to something like “filename2″ and then you began the new design knowing that if it was awful you still had the design/code for the original you could easily revert back to?  That’s version control.

Give yourself a pat on the back, you’re 1/2 of the way to learning how to make your workflow that much more simplified.

Wait, did I mean to say simplified?  Yep, I used the word simplified for a reason.  Sure, this is a nice way to make backups but it will also be easier to go back and figure out what exactly it was you changed in the first place, it makes syncing computers a cinch, and it makes adding in other people into the equation heavenly compared to how you’re doing things now.

But more on that in bit.  Let’s talk about the different version control systems out there.

Subversion vs Everything else

Subversion is an open-source version control system.  Subversion is well documented and widely used and so there’s plenty of information out there about how to use it.  Subversion is hands-down the most supported version control among software developers.  That’s that.

So okay I lied.  I’m not going to talk about other version control systems.  Subversion is your best choice.  Ask your uncle.  He’ll tell you I’m right.

Getting Started with Subversion

Subversion, or SVN as it’s commonly referred to and will be referred to that way from here out, can be confusing at first.  Scratch that.  It is flat out confusing at first.  But it doesn’t have to be.  After learning the basic I realized that most people out there try to make subversion sound like brain surgery.  It’s not.  Don’t listen to them.  Do you need to know basic SSH commands; yes.  That part is very important.  Other than that though I’d argue that you just need some time to set it up.  And if you’re worried about wasting time on something don’t worry about that either.  I have personally found that SVN lends itself very well to on-the-job training.  In my case I took about a day off of work to sit down and figure out what was going on but I was also making backups of some of my own projects during that time.  And remember, I was reading brain surgery manuals.  You’ll have one up on me- that is if I can describe it to you in a manner that doesn’t make you want to throw yourself from the nearest bridge.  Want to give it a shot?  Okay then, lets get started.

What the crap is a Repository?

Calm down.  You’re just learning the first part of SVN.  To the user, repositories are the core of the SVN system as they are the central place that your files will be backed up to.  When I first began reading up about SVN repositories they made little to no sense.  But now that I understand the system it’s ridiculous that they are spoken of the way they are.  Why do I say this?  BECAUSE YOU’LL SET UP THE THING AND NEVER LOOK AT IT AGAIN!  When you first create a repository it’ll create a folder which is basically just a normal folder with some other folders and files in it like anything else.  Nothing magic really.  Now take a look inside…

Man that looks confusing, right?  Don’t even worry about it.  Take Ron Popeil’s advice and just “Set it and forget it”.  In the next tutorial you’ll use two files in the ‘conf’ folder and that’ll be it.  I promise.  So again, don’t get bogged down on what is going on inside of there.  I’ll put it this way: Do you setup Wordpress or Drupal or some other CMS that uses a database often?  If you do then you know you never have to mess with the database.  You go into phpMyAdmin or your hosts GUI and create a new database and then trust that your CMS will do the rest (which it usually does).  The SVN repository is fulfilling basically the same role.  All you have to do is create it and move on.

I’ve decided the rest of this tutorial will be best taught if I just walk through the steps with you.  I’ll give you the actual code to set up the repository as well as all the other code you’ll need in the next post.  As you’ll see, I’ll be using a Media Temple (dv) server and Coda (for Mac) but if you are using a different server and/or a different program it shouldn’t matter.  You might have to install something extra in your case, or even less than what I offer, but you’ll still use the same code.

We’ll pick up on all the ins and outs in the next post.