Versioning

Versioning#

If you can, use git#

  • Use git (or any VCS) for code from the very first line

  • Commit early, commit often, with messages your future self can read

  • You do NOT need the internet to use git!

Not a git convert?#

Some RDCs have no git. You can still version:

  • Keep a dated, append-only changelog in the README

  • Take manual snapshots (rename, copy into directories, etc.)

Manual versioning method#

  • Do NOT use mycode-final_FINAL.R to be the code you are working on!

  • Rather, if 01-prepare-data.R is your code, then back up to 01-prepare-data-2024-06-01.R.

  • Or: zip it all up into code-2024-06-01.zip and copy the zip files into an archive folder

Better: script it! Using whatever tools you are comfortable with.

# This is archive.sh
date=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
archive_dir="archive"
mkdir -p "$archive_dir"
zip -rp "$archive_dir/code-$date-$(whoami).zip" code/

which results in

...
archive/
    code-2024-06-01-vilhu001.zip
    code-2024-06-15-jarmin001.zip

What versioning buys you#

  • A way to answer “what changed since the last disclosure request?”

  • Confidence to delete dead code (it’s in history)

  • A second researcher can pick up exactly where you left off

  • You know exactly what you sent to the DRB! (or the journal!)

But…#

Please do learn git!

Go do the Carpentries’ Git lesson

Contents