Practical Standards for Microsoft® Visual Basic® .NET, Second Edition

Chapter 17. Version Control

Change is inevitable. Creating computer software is more like growing a garden than manufacturing a widget. Although a distributed program file is a static entity, the program itself usually changes—even adapts—over the course of its life. Developers usually change a program to correct problems or improve usability, for example. When developers stop enhancing a product, it’s often abandoned by users who switch to tools that are more in line with current business paradigms. It’s a simple fact that you must improve your product or lose your customers. Although this constant change is good for users (and good for your bottom line), it creates a number of challenges for developers and project managers.

Projects in Microsoft ...