Mercurial is a distributed version control system (DVCS) that allows users to track changes in their files over time and easily collaborate with others. It is written in Python and is open source software.
Mercurial is a distributed version control system (DVCS) that enables users to track changes in their files over time. It is designed to be fast and efficient and to provide a simple and intuitive user interface.
Mercurial is written in Python and is open source software. It is released under the GNU General Public License version 2.
Mercurial works by keeping a history of changes made to a set of files, which are referred to as a repository. Changes are tracked by creating a “commit”, which is a snapshot of the files at a certain point in time. Commits can be grouped together into “branches”, which are collections of related changes.
Mercurial also provides tools for merging changes from multiple branches, and for managing conflicts between different versions of a file. It also allows users to collaborate on a project by pushing and pulling changes from a shared repository.
Mercurial has a number of features that make it a powerful DVCS:
Distributed: Mercurial is a distributed version control system, meaning that each user has a complete copy of the repository on their own computer. This allows users to work independently and collaborate without the need for a central server.
Speed: Mercurial is designed to be fast and efficient, and it can handle large repositories with ease.
Ease of use: Mercurial provides a simple and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users to get up and running quickly.
Flexibility: Mercurial is highly configurable, allowing users to customize their workflow to suit their needs.
For example, a team of developers working on a project can use Mercurial to track their changes. Each developer can clone the repository to their own computer, make changes, and then push the changes back to the shared repository. This allows the team to collaborate on the project without the need for a central server.
Mercurial has several advantages over other version control systems:
However, Mercurial also has some drawbacks:
Mercurial is similar to other distributed version control systems such as Git and Subversion. It is also related to centralized version control systems such as CVS and Perforce.
Mercurial is also known as "hg" due to its command line program name.
Mercurial is an active and popular project, with a thriving community of users and developers. It is used by a wide variety of organizations, from small startups to large corporations.