🗂️ C++ Version Control System — A Mini Git Clone

Thank You to Uzairahmednasir for making this amazing project💛
We are *TEAM ENIGMA from DAU
We have reaserched on this version-control-system project and its working under the course IT206 of DAU
This is a lightweight version control system written in C++, inspired by Git, that lets you:

• Manage multiple versions of your project files
• Create commits
• Track and display commit history
• Revert to any previous commit
• Simulate staging and commit flow like real Git

🏁 This is the Project of Uzairahmednasir for Data Structures & Algorithms Lab
🎓 Lahore Garrison University
👩‍🏫 Instructor: Mam. Raeena Tauqir

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📖 What is This?

This is a minimal Git clone built from scratch using C++, showcasing how real version control systems work. It emphasizes core programming concepts such as:

• Command line parsing with argc, argv
• Linked Lists for commit management
• File system manipulation
• Directory creation, file copying, and history tracking

⚠️ No external libraries or Git libraries are used — everything is built from scratch!

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🧠 Core Features

Feature	Description
🚀 init	Create an empty repository
📦 add	Adds files to the staging area
📝 commit	Creates a snapshot of the current project (like Git commits)
🔍 log	Displays the list of all commits in order
⏪ revert	Reverts the project to any previous commit
📁 Filesystem	Uses directories to store full versions of each commit
🔗 Data Structures	Uses Linked Lists to manage commit metadata

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🧰 Build & Run

🔧 Prerequisites

• Linux/Mac OS or WSL
• A C++ compiler (g++, clang, etc.)

⚙️ Compile

g++ main.cpp -o vcs

▶️ Run

./vcs <command> [arguments]

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🛠️ How It Works

📌 Command-Based System

The system is entirely CLI-based. Here's how you use it:

# Initialize empty git repository
./vcs init

# Add file to staging area
./vcs add main.cpp

# Commit with a message
./vcs commit "Initial commit"

# Show all commits
./vcs log

# Revert to specific commit
./vcs revert 1

🔄 Internal Flow

[ main.cpp ] → [ gitClass.cpp ] → [ commitNodeList.cpp ]
       ↓
 Command Handling via argv/argc
       ↓
 File Operations & Staging
       ↓
 Linked List of Commits
       ↓
 File Version Snapshots in Directories

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🧩 Code Structure Breakdown

📁 main.cpp

• Acts as the command parser.
• Reads user input via argc/argv and forwards control to Git class methods.
• Valid commands: add, commit, log, revert.

📁 gitClass.cpp

• The brain of the system.
• Handles:
  • Staging of files
  • Creating versioned folders
  • Copying staged files to a new commit
  • Logging and revert operations
• Manages:
  • .vcs/ directory for metadata
  • Commit counters
  • Commit message and time

📁 commitNodeList.cpp

• Implements a Linked List to manage the history of commits.
• Each node:
  • Stores commit ID
  • Commit message
  • Timestamp
• Supports traversal to display logs or revert to any node.

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🧪 Sample Session

> ./vcs init
Empty reposity initialized

> ./vcs add main.cpp
File main.cpp added to staging area.

> ./vcs commit -m "Added main functionality"
Commit 1 created.

> ./vcs add gitClass.cpp
> ./vcs commit "Core Git logic added"
Commit 2 created.

> ./vcs log
Commit 2: Core Git logic added
Commit 1: Added main functionality

> ./vcs revert 1
Reverted to commit 1: "Added main functionality"

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🗃️ How Commits Are Stored

• Each commit creates a folder in .vcs/commits/ named after its ID.
• Files added are copied into these folders, preserving full versions.
• Metadata like commit message & timestamp are saved in each directory.

.vcs/
└── commits/
    ├── 1/
    │   ├── main.cpp
    │   └── meta.txt
    ├── 2/
    │   ├── main.cpp
    │   ├── gitClass.cpp
    │   └── meta.txt

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🧠 Data Structures Used

Structure	Role
🪢 Linked List	Manages commit history (in commitNodeList.cpp)
🗂️ File system trees	Snapshots saved in .vcs/commits/<id>
🧠 Pointers	Used to link commit nodes and traverse history
📋 Command Arguments	Parsed using argc and argv[] in C++

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📚 Takeaways

This project showcases how real-world version control tools like Git operate internally, using:

• Low-level file operations
• Custom data structures
• Staging → Commit → Revert flow
• Linked lists for history
• Filesystem-based version management

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🙋‍♂️ FAQs

Q: Is this an actual Git implementation?
A: No. It’s a lightweight clone built from scratch to simulate Git's behavior for learning purposes.

Q: Can I extend it?
A: Absolutely! You can add diff tracking, branches, remote push/pull, or GUI.

Q: Does it support multiple users or collaboration?
A: No, this is purely local and single-user. Think of it as Git’s "bare bones".

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👨‍💻 Team Members of TEAM ENIGMA

Made with 🔥 by [Aditya Dave]
GitHub: Aditya-Dave503
Email: adityadave049@gmail.com

Made with 🔥 by [Aaryan Modi]
GitHub: Aaryan-Modi
Email: aaryan.spdev@gmail.com

Made with 🔥 by [Rudra Bhatt]
GitHub: RudraBhat
Email: rudra.bhatt.230106@gmail.com

Made with 🔥 by [Jay Limbasiya]
GitHub: Jay0001-debug
Email: jaylimbasiya0001@gmail.com

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🏁 Final Words

This project is more than just a submission — it’s a deep dive into how tools we rely on every day are built from first principles. If you're learning C++, data structures, or want to build your own tools — this is a great starting point.

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