Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Version control system
Also known as: VCS, Source control, Revision control system
German: Versionsverwaltungssystem
In software engineering, a version control system is a tool that records changes to files over time, so that specific versions can be retrieved, changes compared and parallel work on branches merged.
- Software engineering
In one sentence
A version control system records file changes over time so versions can be retrieved, compared and parallel work merged.
Example
The team stores PLC exports, HMI projects, test scripts and the DITA sources of the manual in Git, the company's version control system.
How it applies
- Engineering: A version control system is the basis for collaboration, reviews, continuous integration and reproducible releases. Distributed systems such as Git dominate; engineering tools increasingly support text exports or native integration.
- Configuration management: Tags identify released versions and support Configuration control. The history serves as an audit trail of changes.
- Documentation: Docs-as-code teams manage documentation sources in the same system, with branches per release. Binary formats such as word processor files are poorly suited, because changes cannot be compared.
Version control system vs. document management system
A version control system focuses on text files, branching and merging. A document management system focuses on approval workflows, metadata and access to documents. Controlled documents often need both.