Why version control? Version control (VC) allows us to easily track changes to text-based files. Although VC can also track changes to binary files, it is primarily designed for human-readable files, such as source code. VC provides a comprehensive history of all changes to files that have been placed under it. This history allows us to inspect the differences line-by-line between any two versions of a file, a feature that is often necessary for developers to understand software updates.