The Importance of Source Control

While professional programmers always submit their code to a source control system such as git, svn, or tfs; most hobbyists and learners do not. This is a huge mistake. I always encourage people to check their code into a source control system. But why? For the learner or hobbyist, there are a few big reasons to do so. First, as developers we often realize we’ve solved the exact same problem before. But when? Where? How? Having a repository of your own demo code gives you reference material for future projects all neatly stored away. Second, as that repository grows, and you mature as a developer, you may want to pursue a job in software engineering. A growing number of companies ask to see your GitHub account – this is a great way for an organization to see what your code really looks like. Start building that portfolio of code now! Third, source control serves as a backup for your code. When the project you spent months working on is destroyed because of a hard drive error, what do you do? If you have your code on committed to a source control system, you download your most recent copy and move on. Very little is lost. There are countless other benefits to source control, but these are some of the simplest benefits an up-and-coming developer can realize quickly. If you don’t have an account, go to BitBucket.org or GitHub.com and set one up!