4. Version control

Version control refers to the process of systematically storing important versions of documents for the future.

A typical tool to achieve this is git.

Documents that should be put under version control include:

• computer source code for simulation software and

• computer source code for analysis scripts

• configuration files

• metadata

We also recommend to put important documents into version control, such as the manuscript of a publication, and a PhD thesis.

4.1. GWDG GitLab

For MPG researchers, the GWDG Gitlab Service can be used to host git repositories in the cloud.

4.2. Further reading and training material on version control and Git

In roughly order of increasing complexity

• Lecture notes Hans Fangohr on the very basics of version control and git (pdf)

• Software Carpentry workshop on Git (html)

• Version Control from The Turing Way