Everyone should be using version control. Even if you’re just one developer working on a project alone. Here, we share the best version control for a single developer.
Read along or jump ahead to the section that interests you the most.
➡️ Use the Best Version Control for Solo Developers
Back to topWhy Solo Developers Need Version Control
Solo developers need version control, too. Here’s why.
1. Practice Good Habits Now
You won’t always be working on a project by yourself.
Perhaps you’re developing a game. It’s a hobby right now. You might be the only one working on it. But it’s still important to practice good habits.
With any project you do, you’re going to end up with a lot of files. In the case of your game, you’ll have code, binary files, and design assets, among other files.
You’re going to be editing those files over and over again. Using version control is a great way to get in the habit of working with versions. And it helps you adopt best practices, including branching strategies. This makes it easier to organize your work.
Then, when your game takes off and you have a team working on it, your game development process will run much more smoothly. You’ll already have the good habits and the best practices in place.
2. Back Up Your Project
You’ll need to back up your project regularly.
This is important for many reasons. If you don’t back up the files you’re working on for your game up and your computer crashes, you could lose it all. Hours or even months of work could be wasted.
But, if you’re committing often, you’ll rest assured that your code is backed up. So, if your computer crashes, you can go back to your last commit without backtracking.
3. Revert Changes
You’ll also need to be able to revert changes and go back to a previous version.
You might be working on some files for your game and discover a bug. If you’ve been doing frequent commits, it’ll be easier to isolate the bug. That will help you figure out which change triggered it. And that will make it easier to resolve. You can even revert back to the bug-free version easily.
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. And if you make a mistake, it’s easy to fix by reverting back to a previous, stable version.
Plus, this ability to rollback changes gives you more freedom to experiment and innovate. If your experiment goes awry, you can just go back to a previous version.
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What Is the Best Version Control For a Single Developer?
The best version control for a single developer is Perforce Helix Core.
Helix Core is the obvious choice for game developers, whether you’re a single developer or part of a small or large team. It integrates with Unreal and Microsoft Visual Studio, both of which you’re likely to use as you work on your game. And it has APIs for programming languages, including Python, that make it easier for you to work efficiently.
Not working on a game? It’s also the obvious choice if you’re going to be working with assets beyond code, such as binaries or artifacts. Helix Core can handle everything — all of your files, assets, and code — in one spot.
Using Helix Core makes it easy to practice good habits now. It provides backup for your entire project. And it makes it easy to revert changes.
Back to topStart Small, Build Big with Helix Core
Even as a single developer, you have access to all the same features and functionality that has earned Helix Core the trust of 19/20 top AAA game development studios and top virtual production teams across the globe.
You can start using Helix Core — complete with code review, Git support, and endless integrations and client options — for free.
Helix Core Prepares You For Your Career
Planning to work in one of the following industries? Using Helix Core is a smart choice.
It’s also a smart choice if you’re planning to work for a big company, like Google. At a big company, you’re going to need to immediately use version control and commit code to production.
Either way, you’ll need to learn the concepts of version control. And you’ll learn concepts with Helix Core that you won’t get with Git (or other solutions).
This includes things like:
- The monorepo — the concept of storing all files, assets, and code in a central repository.
- Continuous Integration — the concept of automatically merging all changes into a shared repository multiple times a day, often using Jenkins.
The sooner you learn to use these tools, the more valuable you’ll be to your employer.
Back to topGet Started with Helix Core For Free
If you aren’t using version control, now is the time to start. Helix Core is always free for up to 5 users and 20 workspaces. And it’s perfect for single developers, especially game developers.