| Programmers have been using version
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| | every time you save changes to a file.
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| control software for a long time. With
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| | Now you are truly free to make changes to
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| version control software, you first take
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| | your files without fear of losing any
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| a snapshot of a file or files in a
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| | changes. This is great for writers. Open
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| folder. When you want to make a change to
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| | a file and create a rough draft. Save the
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| a file, you check out the file, make your
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| | file. Now revise your work. Go wild. Get
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| changes, and check the file back in. If
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| | creative and change everything without
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| you look at the file you'll see the
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| | any inhibitions. Don't worry you can go
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| latest version including all your
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| | back to any previously saved version at
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| changes; however, the version control
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| | any time.
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| software has transparently recorded the
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| | How? Both ActiveBackup and FileHamster
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| original version of the file and all
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| | allow you to view the differences between
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| changes you've made to it since.
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| | two file versions, side by side. Open
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| The really great thing about version
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| | your version control software, compare
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| control is that you can restore the file
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| | the versions to find the best one, and
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| back to any point in time. What sucks
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| | restore it to the current version. Now
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| about it is you have to remember to
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| | work with that file, making changes and
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| commit the changes each time you want to
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| | saving them along the way and you have an
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| create a new version.
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| | infinite undo capability saved to disk.
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| Software such as Tortoise SVN has made
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| | Note: You can also make the work of
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| this much more accessible to
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| | finding the correct version easier by
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| non-programmers, but there is an easier
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| | adding comments as you go about what
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| way, which I call automatic version
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| | changes were made every time you reach a
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| control software. I've only discovered
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| | milestone.
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| two software programs that do this: AJC
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| | I've been using ActiveBackup to version
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| Software ActiveBackup and the freeware
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| | control my personal documents for a few
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| FileHamster from MogWare.
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| | months. I experimented with FileHamster
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| ActiveBackup and FileHamster work
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| | and it's great software too, but
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| similarly. First, you configure the
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| | ActiveBackup only stores the compressed
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| software to watch a folder like My
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| | differences of each change, which ends up
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| Documents. Then you use wildcards to
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| | being a lot less disk space over time.
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| specify which files you want to be
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| | Another plus for FileHamster is that it's
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| version controlled and which ones you
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| | free, but I don't mind paying a
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| want excluded. For example, if you are
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| | reasonable cost for reliable software
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| watching My Documents, you would specify
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| | that I use constantly.
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| *.doc to record all changes to your
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| | Lately, I've started using this
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| Microsoft Word files, but might want to
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| | ActiveBackup instead of more feature-rich
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| exclude *.tmp to keep the software from
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| | versioning software to handle the version
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| recording changes to temporary files.
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| | control for my programming projects. I
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| After you configure the watch, the
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| | love that I can simply set it and forget
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| software will search the directory and
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| | it, get on with my work, and not worry
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| take a snapshot of every file that
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| | about losing any work, should I make any
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| matches your criteria. The software
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| | numb skull moves like accidently deleting
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| automatically starts up when you boot
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| | the wrong folder. I can always restore
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| your computer and takes another snapshot
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| | the last good version.
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