Source control tools—also known as version control systems (VCS) or source control management tools—are essential software utilities that help developers manage changes to source code over time. These tools enable teams to collaborate on codebases, track every modification, and revert to previous versions when needed.
Whether you're working solo or as part of a large engineering team, source code management helps prevent data loss, supports concurrent development, and improves traceability.
Why source code management matters
Modern software development is iterative. Code changes constantly—whether you're fixing bugs, adding features, or refactoring. Without a structured way to track those changes, chaos can quickly take over. Source code management solves this by:
- Tracking who made changes, when, and why
- Helping teams work on features in parallel without overwriting each other’s work
- Making it easy to roll back to earlier versions of the code
- Enabling code reviews and better collaboration
- Supporting automation in CI/CD pipelines
These benefits of source code management contribute directly to better software quality and faster delivery.
Types of version control systems
There are two main types of version control systems used in source control tools:
Centralized version control systems (CVCS)
Centralized systems use a single central server to store all versions of the code. Developers commit changes directly to this server. While simple to use, they require a constant network connection and create a single point of failure.
Examples:
Distributed version control systems (DVCS)
In distributed systems, each developer has a full copy of the repository, including the entire history. Changes can be made locally and synced later. This model offers better performance, offline access, and easier branching and merging.
Examples:
Git source control: The de facto standard
Git is the most widely adopted source control tool today. Created by Linus Torvalds in 2005, Git is a distributed version control system designed for performance, flexibility, and robust support for nonlinear workflows.
With Git, developers can create branches for features, bug fixes, or experiments, then merge them into the main codebase when ready. Tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket provide collaborative frontends for Git source control, offering pull requests, issues, and integrations with CI/CD tools.
Git has become so dominant that "version control" and "Git" are often used interchangeably in conversation.
Popular source control management tools
Here are a few common source control tools used in the industry:
| Tool | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Git | DVCS | Fast, flexible, and widely adopted; works with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket |
| GitHub | Git-based platform | Adds issue tracking, code reviews, and CI/CD |
| Subversion (SVN) | CVCS | Centralized model, still in use in legacy systems |
| Perforce (Helix Core) | CVCS | Popular in gaming and large binary assets |
| Mercurial | DVCS | Git alternative with simpler UX, used by some large teams |
| Azure Repos | Git/TFVC | Source control management by Microsoft integrated with Azure DevOps |
Benefits of source code management
Using a version control system or source control tool provides several key advantages:
- History and traceability: Every change is logged with author and context.
- Collaboration: Multiple people can work on the same codebase without stepping on each other’s toes.
- Backup and recovery: Mistakes can be undone easily by reverting to previous commits.
- Code quality: Pull requests and code reviews help improve overall code standards.
- Automation: SCM tools integrate with CI/CD systems to trigger builds and tests automatically.
These benefits of source code management are critical to maintaining a clean, maintainable, and resilient software product.
Modern enhancements: How Graphite extends Git workflows
While Git is powerful, managing complex pull request workflows can still be a challenge—especially in fast-moving teams. This is where tools like Graphite come in. Built on top of Git and deeply integrated with GitHub, Graphite enhances traditional Git source control by making it easier to create, manage, and review stacked pull requests. It offers features like automatic PR splitting, smarter CI integrations, AI-powered review summaries, and streamlined Slack notifications. Teams using Graphite report faster review cycles and reduced friction in their development pipelines, making it an ideal companion for engineers looking to scale high-quality code delivery on top of standard version control systems.
Conclusion
Source control tools are a foundational element of modern software development. They provide structure, safety, and collaboration for teams working with code. Whether you’re using Git, SVN, or another version control system, implementing a solid source code management workflow will improve productivity, reduce errors, and support scalable development.
If you’re not already using a version control system, start with Git—it’s powerful, well-supported, and fits most use cases.