Where should I start learning about version control systems? I’ve used SVN, Team Foundation, and Sourcesafe in the past but I don’t really feel like I grasp it completely, and my team doesn’t seem to grasp it either.
Which points are the most important to master? I realise this differs from VCS to VCS, but for the sake of this question we can assume that Subversion is the VCS I’m the most interested in learning about.
Also, if you could, please recommend any books on the subject that you find useful.
The wikipedia article on Revision Control is a great place to start
Revision control
When trying to teach my colleagues, I found getting him to understand the vocabulary at the end was a great way to start to introduce him to source code control techniques.
Don’t know what a branch is? Go find out and how they work 🙂
There’s a free online subversion book at Version Control with Subversion which provides an invaluable reference.