A short guide to version control

It comes up on almost every project, usually later than it should. Everything we would tell a client about version control in the time it takes to drink a coffee.

Most development decisions are really maintenance decisions wearing a different hat. Budget a little time for it every quarter and it never becomes a project of its own.

Why it matters

Small commits with clear messages are a gift to future you. Small and consistent beats large and occasional here. It is worth deciding this deliberately rather than inheriting whatever the last person set up.

The practical version

Branch naming conventions cost nothing and prevent confusion. Where this goes wrong is almost never a lack of knowledge. If two people in the business would answer this differently, that gap is the actual problem.

Warning signs

If it is not in version control, it does not exist. That sounds obvious written down. It is still the thing most often skipped. If two people in the business would answer this differently, that gap is the actual problem.

How to tell if yours is fine

Code gets read far more often than it gets written, and usually by someone with less context than the author had. Three things worth confirming about version control before you move on:

• Someone can say what the current setup is without going to look
• If it is not in version control, it does not exist — and you know whether that is true here
• There is a way to tell whether the last change to this helped

If you want a second opinion on how yours is set up, ask.