How to use version control effectively with Modula-2 projects?
Understanding Version Control Systems
Version Control Systems (VCS) are software tools designed to track changes to a set of files over time. Every time you save a new version of your project, your VCS takes a 'snapshot' of what all your files look like at that moment and saves a reference to that snapshot. This can also let you see exactly how your project evolved between versions.
For Modula-2 projects, the two most popular Version Control Systems which come to mind are Git and SVN. But Git seems to be the more popular choice among developers due to its speed, data integrity, and support for distributed, non-linear workflows.
Setting Up Your Version Control
To get started with version control for your Modula-2 projects, you first need to install Git. After Git has been installed, go to your project directory and initialize Git:
$ git init
This will create a new .git subdirectory in your project's root directory.
Committing Changes to Your Project
When you make changes to your Modula-2 project, Git sees this as a change in your project's 'working directory'. To save these changes, you first need to stage these changes:
$ git add [file]
This command tells Git that you want to include updates to [file] in the next snapshot (commit). After staging changes, you bundle these changes into a commit:
$ git commit -m "your message about the commit"
This command captures a snapshot of the project's currently staged changes. The message can be anything of your choice - it's usually good practice to write something informative about what changes are included in the commit.
Checking the Status of Your Project
At any time, you can check the status of your files:
$ git status
This command displays the status of the project. It lists out the files which were changed and those which are yet to be committed.
Branching and Merging
Branching is one of Git's best features. It allows you to separate out your work into different 'branches' so you could work on different features at the same time - all without affecting the main body of work (on the 'master' branch). When you're done working on a feature, you merge this branch back to the main body of work.
To create a new branch:
$ git branch [branch-name]
And then switch to this new branch:
$ git checkout [branch-name]
Once you're done working, switch back to the master branch:
$ git checkout master
And then merge the branch:
$ git merge [branch-name]
Using a Remote Repository
So far all the work we did was in the local repository. But Git being a distributed version control system, it lets you collaborate with others. For this, you'd use a 'remote' repository. To add a new remote repository:
$ git remote add origin [URL]
To view the remote repositories added:
$ git remote -v
To push your commits to the remote repository:
$ git push -u origin master
Above commands are just basic git commands and they hold true irrespective of the programming language you're working with. As long as you follow them, you can effectively use version control for your Modula-2 projects.
Remember that best practices suggest:
1. Make frequent commits, as this allows better tracking of changes and makes it easier to revert changes.
2. Write clear, concise commit messages. This helps others understand why and what changes were made.
3. Use branching extensively. This keeps feature development separate from bug fixing, thus minimizing the risk of integrating new features.
4. Regularly merge and push your changes to the remote repository. This ensures that your work is safe and allows others to access the latest code.
