Version control has me stumped

Question

I\'ve been developing websites for a few years now, and I\'ve never had the time or energy to learn about version control. Now, as I start one of the bigger projects I\'ve ever

Answer 1

It's not as bad as you think.

You'll learn to love it, because you'll never lose code, you'll be able to keep track of history, and you'll be able to roll back to any version you please.

each time I want to make a change, I'll have to fork (?) my own working copy

This is not true. You can commit changes to a working copy as you go until you're ready to release it. You'll tag and label that version (e.g., "maj.min.svn.build" where major is the major release number, min is the minor release number, svn is the subversion revision number, and build is the automated build number) and merrily go on your way revising the trunk for your next release.

You only need to fork ("create a branch") if you're doing parallel development.

Try Subversion. It's pretty good, even if Linus Torvalds hates it. The "SVN red bean" book is what you should Google and read. Or the Pragmatic Programmer book on version control.

I run CollabNet Subversion on my home machine and routinely check everything into it. It's a great way to practice. The fact that my stuff is safe is an added bonus.