Version control system
20 December 2024
updated at: 6 November 2026
A version control system (VCS) is a tool that keeps a history of changes to project files, allowing developers to track changes and manage code versions. The main purpose of a VCS is to make work on a project simpler and more orderly.
What is a version control system?
A version control system lets teams track changes, manage versions and work together productively. Without a VCS, it is hard to keep development stable, secure and transparent, or to avoid mistakes when several people work on the same project.
Imagine several developers building a single product module for an application. One is writing the code for a data processing function, another is developing the user interface and a third is configuring the back end. All these changes happen in parallel, and it is important that they do not conflict with one another. A version control system resolves such conflicts by tracking who made which changes and when, and makes it possible to roll back to a previous version if something goes wrong. A good example is Git, one of the most popular version control systems, widely used to manage versions in open-source projects.
How to use a version control system: step by step
A version control system makes development much simpler, keeping work on projects secure and well organized. Introducing a VCS into the development process can be broken down into several key steps. Let's look at how to work with a version control system, step by step.
Step 1. Connect to the host.
Go to the integrations section in the navigator, select "Connections" and create a new connection.
Step 2. Configure the connection.
Enter the URL (for example, gitlab.com) and a personal access token. Once you save the connection, the system tries to connect to the server using the token provided. If the connection succeeds, a "Connection established" badge appears, and the system starts automatically importing data about groups and projects.
You can follow the import in the activity feed. If the token has limited permissions, the import is faster. After you refresh the page, the status changes to "Completed" and GitLab repositories and groups appear in the lists. If the token or URL is invalid, the system notifies you that the connection could not be established, and you can open the log for details.
The connection is required for the developer panel widget on task forms in SDLC. The widget displays information about merge requests, branches and commits, pulling this data from GitLab automatically.
Step 3. Specify the project repository.
For the widget to display data correctly, you need to specify the project repository. In the project form, select the relevant repositories in the "Git repository" field.
The developer panel widget then becomes available on the corresponding task tab. It shows information about linked repositories and supports filtering. Tasks are linked to GitLab data by task number, so for the widget to work correctly, task numbers must appear in branch names, commit messages and merge requests.
The "Merge requests" tab shows various parameters: request ID, title, source and target branches, number of threads and status of the latest pipeline. Clicking a request title takes you to GitLab. The "Commits" tab shows the commit title, its hash and the author, who is matched to an employee profile in SimpleOne. By default, up to five latest commits are shown, but this number can be configured. The "Branches" tab shows the branch name and its connection, with a link to open it in GitLab.
Following these steps helps keep the project in order and makes teamwork and code version management easier. With them, you can use a VCS for software development while keeping the code stable and consistent at every stage.
What problems does a version control system solve
A version control system solves problems that are critical to a project's success, especially in teams with several developers. Here are the main ones:
- Tracking changes
A VCS records every change made to the code and stores it in the history. Developers can see who made changes, when, and exactly what was fixed. If a bug appears after a change, it is easy to roll back to the previous working version.
- Resolving conflicts
When several developers work on the same file at the same time, their changes may conflict. A version control system helps resolve these conflicts by automating the merging of changes and providing tools for manual adjustment where needed.
- Supporting parallel development
A VCS lets developers work on different parts of a project simultaneously without getting in each other's way. Each developer can create branches to work on a new feature or bug fix and then merge them into the main version of the project once the work is done.
- Managing versions
A VCS helps keep the project stable by dividing it into versions and making it easier to move from one version to another. This is important for testing and shipping new releases, as it lets the team control which version of the project runs in production and which is in development.
- Collaboration and better coordination
A VCS helps coordinate developers' work, letting them work on the project without fear of accidental conflicts or data loss. All changes are synchronized, and every project member always has the current version of the code.
In short, a version control system is a project management tool that enables collaboration, keeps code stable and minimizes risk.
Types of version control systems
Version control systems are classified by how they store and manage versions. There are local, centralized and distributed systems, each with its own characteristics and use cases.
Local VCS
Local version control systems are simple systems in which the entire change history is stored on the developer's computer. All changes are recorded in a local repository, and each user works with their own copy of the data. To share files with other developers, they have to be copied manually.
For example, RCS (Revision Control System) saves changes in a local repository but does not support several developers working on the same project.
Characteristics of local VCS:
- Data is stored only locally, with no interaction with other users.
- Limited collaboration: synchronizing changes requires manually transferring files between computers.
- Easy to set up and use, but cannot scale to team work.
Centralized version control systems
Centralized version control systems store the entire change history and current versions of the project on a single server. Developers work with local copies of the source code and connect to the server to get the latest changes or submit their own. The central repository is the single source of truth.
In Subversion (SVN), for example, all changes are recorded on a central server, and developers synchronize their local copies with it.
Characteristics of centralized VCS:
- A central repository that holds the entire change history and current versions of files.
- Constant access to the server is required, which makes the system dependent on network connectivity.
- Fault tolerance issues: if the central server fails, access to the project may be restricted, although developers' local copies remain current as of the last synchronization.
Distributed version control systems
Distributed version control systems are a more advanced and flexible approach. Distributed systems such as Git give every developer a full local copy of the repository, including its change history. Developers can work without constant access to the server and synchronize changes with others as needed. Git, which powers services such as GitHub and GitLab, is a prime example of a distributed VCS.
Characteristics of distributed VCS:
- Every developer has a full local copy of the repository with the complete change history, so they can work without constant access to a central server.
- High flexibility: developers can work offline and then synchronize changes with others as needed.
- Resilience: even if the central server or one of the repositories fails, developers can continue working with their local copies and synchronize them later.
- Support for parallel work in different branches and merging of changes.
| Characteristic | Local VCS | Centralized VCS | Distributed VCS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data storage | Local | Central | Local and central |
| Data access | Local access | Server required | Local access for everyone |
| Collaboration | Limited | Depends on the server | Highly flexible, works offline |
| Example | RCS | SVN | Git |
| Server dependency | No | Yes | No (but optional) |
| Offline work | No | No | Yes |
| Ease of setup | Simple to set up and use | Requires a central server to be configured | More complex to set up, but offers greater flexibility and fault tolerance |
Each type of version control system has its pros and cons, and the choice depends on team size, project complexity and developer preferences. Local VCS suit small projects, centralized VCS suit larger projects with central governance, and distributed VCS such as Git offer maximum flexibility and work well for distributed teams.
SimpleOne SDLC integration with GitLab
The latest version of SimpleOne SDLC includes an integration with GitLab that improves development processes and synchronization between teams.
Key points about the integration:
- Connection setup: SimpleOne SDLC needs to be connected to a server — either the company's own self-hosted GitLab server or the public GitLab.com service if the company has no server of its own.
- Working with data: once configured, the system automatically retrieves GitLab data and displays it in the SimpleOne SDLC interface.
- Viewing information: SimpleOne SDLC gets a widget for viewing the merge requests, branches and commits linked to tasks.
- Tasks are linked to repositories by unique task numbers.
- Benefits of the integration:
- Better synchronization: developers can track changes right in the task interface, improving transparency and minimizing errors.
- Easier decision-making: data on branch status and commits is always available in the task system, so there is no need to keep switching to GitLab.
- Development lifecycle management: all changes (code, tasks, repositories) are available in one place, which simplifies monitoring and speeds up the response to change.
- Automatic synchronization: repository updates happen automatically, eliminating manual updates and keeping data current.
As a result, integrating SimpleOne SDLC with GitLab significantly speeds up workflows, improves team coordination and minimizes errors. Automatic data synchronization and real-time access to current information let developers track changes without constantly switching between platforms. Task monitoring becomes simpler and the team responds faster to code changes, reducing the time spent resolving conflicts.
Linking tasks to code through unique numbers eliminates synchronization errors and makes information more accessible, simplifying project management. The integration also improves code quality, since developers can track changes promptly and quickly roll back to previous versions.
Automatic synchronization between SimpleOne SDLC and GitLab keeps data current and eliminates errors caused by outdated information. Decisions are made faster, and the team becomes more accurate and productive.
Version control systems: key takeaways
- Tracking changes. A version control system records every change made to a project, including who made it and when. This makes it possible to restore previous versions in case of errors and keeps development transparent.
- Managing versions. A VCS makes it possible to manage project versions effectively by dividing them into distinct stages. This helps organize testing and new releases and keeps development stable.
- Collaboration. The system synchronizes changes made by different developers, minimizing the risk of conflicts. Branches and commits let people work on different parts of the project without disrupting other team members.
- Conflict resolution. If two developers' changes overlap, a VCS helps resolve the conflict by providing mechanisms for manual intervention and merging changes.
- Parallel development. A version control system lets developers work on different features and fixes simultaneously without getting in each other's way. This is achieved by creating separate branches, which are then merged into the main version of the project.
- CI/CD automation. Version control systems can be integrated with CI/CD tools to automate building, testing and deploying code, speeding up development and improving release quality.
- Types of VCS. There are three types of VCS: local (e.g. RCS), centralized (e.g. SVN) and distributed (e.g. Git). Each has its own characteristics suited to projects of different scale.
- Integration with other tools. Today's version control systems, such as Git, integrate with a range of services (e.g. GitHub, GitLab), making collaboration easier and speeding up development.