What is the difference between github and svn

Nowadays, software development and collaboration have become one of the most common ways of working. In this space, there are many tools to choose from, two of the most popular being GitHub and SVN. Together, they help development teams manage code, version control, and collaboration.

However, the two tools differ in functionality, so which tool to choose should be considered based on the specific situation required. This article will compare the differences between GitHub and SVN tools to help users understand their respective advantages and disadvantages and make more informed choices and decisions during development.

1. Version Control

First of all, what you need to understand is the core function of GitHub and SVN - version control (Version Control). Simply put, version control is a system for managing and recording changes to software code. It records every change to the code and stores a copy of each version. Version control can prevent conflicts between team members' codes and allows team members to collaborate on a project at the same time without constraining each other, thus facilitating team collaboration.

However, GitHub and SVN use completely different methods to implement version control. Specifically, SVN is a tool based on Centralized Version Control, while GitHub is a tool based on Distributed Version Control. This is also one of the biggest differences between the two.

In SVN, all files are stored in the central repository (Central Repository). Each team member needs to checkout (Checkout) the code from the central repository, and then modify the code and submit (Commit) back to the central repository. Library save. This means that everyone needs an internet connection to use SVN tools in development. Therefore, SVN tools are not suitable for working when the network is disconnected.

In contrast, GitHub copies the entire code base to your local computer (which can also be copied by other team members). This allows users to develop locally and offline. When you need to upload changes to the central code repository, you can use the push operation to upload the changes to the distributed code repository. Other team members can obtain changes from the distributed code base through pull operations. This way, you can still get the job done without an internet connection.

2. Branch Management

Another difference between GitHub and SVN tools is how they handle branch (Branch) management. For example, a developer may want to create a new branch in a code base and develop independently on the new branch without affecting the main branch. This is called "branch management".

In SVN, creating a new branch requires copying a new branch from the trunk. This new branch's association with the trunk will be saved in a special directory. When developers need to switch to a branch to work on, they need to switch to this directory. Then, when the work is complete, the developer needs to merge the changes back into trunk and commit them to the server.

In comparison, GitHub makes it easier to manage branches. Developers can create any number of branches on their local machine and work from local branches. They can then optionally commit these changes to a remote server or merge these branches with other branches for collaboration. In GitHub, the process of branch management is distributed, and changes can be completed locally without interfering with the work of other developers.

3. Community

Another very significant difference is that GitHub emphasizes community development. There are many open source projects on GitHub. Anyone can view, clone, submit patches, raise issues, etc. The whole process is very transparent and open. This means that developers can find reusable software code on GitHub, which can avoid duplication of work and improve development efficiency. With support from the open source community, developers can easily find answers, get help, or ask questions. At the same time, you can also fully demonstrate your abilities, provide help to others, and receive guidance and advice from other developers.

SVN doesn’t pay much attention to community. All code is only accessible to repository administrators and team members. This will affect its use and support by the open source community and technology community.

4. Integration Tools

Finally, when choosing GitHub and SVN tools, you also need to consider their integration tools (Integration Tools). These integrated tools enhance the development experience and speed up development efficiency. Different tools may suit different intentions and needs, so integration tools are one of the important factors in choosing the right tool.

For SVN, TortoiseSVN is a well-known Windows GUI application that can enhance the functionality of SVN and provide a better graphical user interface (Graphical User Interface). However, these tools require developers to download and install them themselves.

For GitHub, its integration tools have become more complete and extensive. GitHub Desktop is a fairly popular, easy-to-use GUI application. It helps developers manage code bases more easily and provides a smooth Git workflow. Another popular integration tool is the command line tool GitKraken, which provides a more visual and visual approach than the command line.

Conclusion

There are many aspects to consider when choosing GitHub and SVN tools. SVN is a powerful, reliable, open source centralized version control system, while GitHub is a distributed version control system that emphasizes scalability and collaboration. GitHub is generally a better choice for most projects because of its greater flexibility, easier branch management, and community-based tools.

No matter what you choose, version control is an important basic tool for development, which can greatly improve collaboration, traceability and version control capabilities between teams. This is the key to building a successful, maintainable, scalable code base.

The above is the detailed content of What is the difference between github and svn. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!