Video: Git vs Centralized Systems (example: Perforce)

In this lesson, learners will explore the fundamental differences between distributed version control systems (DVCS) such as Git, and traditional centralized systems like Subversion (SVN) and Perforce. Through the included video, students will gain a visual understanding of how Git’s architecture empowers individual developers to work independently, manage branches efficiently, and collaborate seamlessly—contrasting sharply with the limitations of centralized models.

This lesson serves as an essential foundation for understanding why Git has become the industry standard in modern software development workflows. While SVN and Perforce are discussed for comparison, Git will remain the main focus throughout this course, as all subsequent lessons will build upon Git’s concepts, tools, and real-world practices.

By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:

• Differentiate between distributed and centralized version control models.

• Explain the advantages of Git in collaborative and offline workflows.

• Recognize use cases where centralized systems are still relevant.

• Prepare to apply Git’s distributed model in practical development environments.