Version Management with Subversion for Designers - The why and the how

If you've ever visited a Drupal camp or conference before, chances are you came upon someone mentioning the necessity of using "version management" and you probably watched in awe as all the coders in the room nodded their heads gravely.

If you ever wondered why this is so, this session's for you.

I had this experience over a year ago and decided to look into the pros and cons of version management and how I could accomplish it without using a command line interface. In the process I even succeeded in finding tools that emit a decent web2.0ish, designy feeling.

If you would like to follow along:

• bring a Mac (sorry PC guys, but you can come, too).
• download a trial copy of Versions (http://versionsapp.com/).

We will

• get an overview of the basic concepts of version controlling your "code". In our case that means mostly css and tpl.php files.
• discuss what version management means for designers and how it can be helpful.
• set up a local repository (that's where all your version controlled files live).
• set up a free hosted repository using http://beanstalkapp.com (comes in handy if you develop as a team).
• (very likely) produce version conflicts and (probably) make mistakes to learn from while we play around with version controlling a Drupal installation.

Slides as file:  SubversionDesignersSlides.pdf