[Hugh Meyer]

We use SVN for version control and take our server with us to each competition. This allows us to have as many or as few programmers working on code, if needed, as we want. While we don’t make a huge number of changes it does vary from year to year. Mostly we are changing the robot configuration file to change autonomous mode.

Another reason for taking the SVN server to competition is to keep track and store the robot configuration and log files from each match. Our drive team does a commit to the SVN server after each match, and then anyone interested can do an update and immediately have access to the last match configuration and log files.

The students are very capable and able to keep track of using version control. I try very hard to teach them the right way and once they get use to this tool it is one of those things you wonder how you lived without it. Even if you only have one programmer on the team you should be using version control. I tell people it is like having a giant edit undue button. One can revert the files to any previous commit. This is a wonderful feature.

We even have our CAD, electronics, & scouting teams using SVN. Why anyone would not use version control is beyond me. It is not that hard and is a tool every student should have in their knowledge base.

-Hugh