Glossary
Source control terms, defined
Plain-English definitions for source control terms as they apply to game development. No jargon unless it's the jargon you'll actually hear.
Audit log
A tamper-resistant record of every action on a source control system — commits, syncs, lock/unlock events, permission changes. Used by producers and compliance officers to answer 'who did what when.'
Binary file
A file stored in a non-text format — textures, audio, compiled code, Unreal .uasset, most FBX. Source control systems can version binary files but generally can't merge them, which is why locking matters.
Branch
A parallel line of development. In Git-style systems, branches are cheap and common. In game workflows with heavy binary assets, branches are used sparingly because merging binaries is impossible.
Commit
A snapshot of your project at a point in time, recorded with an author, a message, and a timestamp. Commits are the atomic unit of history — you can return to any commit later.
Depot (Perforce)
Perforce's term for the server-side storage of a project's files and history. Analogous to a 'repository' in Git. Administered via Perforce server tooling.
Dedup / deduplication
Storing identical content only once regardless of how many times it appears. USourceControl deduplicates by SHA-256 hash, so the same texture reused across projects costs storage only once.
Exclusive checkout
A synonym for file locking. You 'check out' a file exclusively, meaning only you can edit it until you check it back in.
File locking
Reserving a file so that only one person can edit it at a time. Essential for binary files that can't be merged — blueprints, levels, prefabs, DCC source files.
Git
The dominant distributed version control system for software engineering. Excellent for text. Struggles with large binary files without extensions like Git LFS.
Git LFS
Git Large File Storage — an extension that stores large files outside the main Git repo, replacing them with 'pointer files.' Reduces repo bloat but adds configuration complexity and bandwidth costs.
Hash / checksum
A short fingerprint of a file's content. USourceControl uses SHA-256 to detect any change — even a single byte — and to deduplicate storage. Two files with the same SHA-256 are guaranteed to have identical content.
LFS pointer file
A small text file that Git LFS uses to stand in for a real large file. If a client isn't LFS-aware, the pointer file gets committed instead of the real asset — a common source of silent data loss.
Merge conflict
When two parallel edits to the same file can't be automatically combined. For text, merges are often resolvable. For binary files, they're usually unresolvable and someone's work is lost — which is why locking matters.
Per-file history
A version timeline for a single file, independent of the broader commit graph. USourceControl lets you view every version of any file and restore to any prior state in one click.
Perforce
A centralized source control system (full name Perforce Helix Core) dominant in AAA game dev. Strong at large binary files and locking; weak at remote-team workflows and cost-effectiveness for small studios.
Pull / sync
Fetching changes from the server to your local copy. USourceControl's sync is incremental — it only transfers files that actually changed since your last sync.
Push / commit
Sending local changes up to the server, where teammates can pull them. In USourceControl, 'commit' both records the change and pushes it — there's no separate 'local commit' concept.
Repository
The general term for a versioned collection of files. USourceControl uses the term 'project' instead, which better matches how game teams think. Structurally similar to a Git repo or Perforce depot.
Restore
Bringing a prior version of a file back as the current version. In USourceControl, one click from the file history view. History is preserved — restoring an old version creates a new commit, not a rewrite.
SHA-256
A cryptographic hash function that produces a 256-bit fingerprint from any input. USourceControl uses it for file integrity verification and content-addressable deduplication.
Sync conflict
When your local version of a file differs from the server version and you need to decide which wins. Usually prevented by locking for binary files; for text files, USourceControl presents a clear resolution UI.
Versioning
The practice of keeping every change to every file in a recoverable history. Source control systems do versioning automatically at every commit.
Source control without the jargon
Free for solo developers. Try the actual workflow instead of reading about it.
Start for free