Can Version Control System help me protecting my code?

Question

Hi,

Can a Version control System(like Subversion) help me protecting my code?

I'd like to hire outside freelance coders(or an outsourced team) to work on a web application project.

I'd like that outside coders working on the project should have access to only that part of the code on which they are working and not to the complete code.

This is to prevent code theft so that nobody can download the complete code or the complete application.

Is something like this possible with the help of a VCS(like subversion)?

Answer 1

In short, yes, it can.

What you will need to do is place the code you want to expose in a branch of its own, and give access to that branch only to the external developers.

You will have to make sure that they still have everything needed to compile and work with that bit of code however.

See this SO question about access control in subversion.

Answer 2

Yes, it is possible to allow access to only specific branches.

See http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.5/svn.serverconfig.svnserve.html#svn.serverconfig.svnserve.auth for Subversion documentation on this subject