This project is a Version Control System (VCS) tailored for MySQL databases. Inspired by Git, it enables commit tracking, branching, and merging directly in a relational environment. It uses a Python backend with MySQL Connector, and a Tkinter GUI frontend for ease of use.
This system is inspired by the core principles of Git, reimagined through the lens of SQL. Instead of working with file systems and shell commands, the project reimplements Git logic—commits, branches, merges—as a database-backed version control engine.
It blends Python, MySQL, and software design to explore how versioning works under the hood, making it a valuable learning project for developers wanting to deepen their understanding of both databases and DevOps tools.
- Create and manage branches
- Make commits with messages and parent tracking
- Merge branches with basic conflict detection
- Retrieve commit history, file contents, and branch info
- User-friendly Tkinter-based GUI
Ensure you have python, MySQL and required packages installed. Install dependencies with:
pip install mysql-connector-python
On launch, the system connects to the MySQL database using provided credentials and ensures that the main branch is initialized.
Each file is hashed and stored. Duplicate entries are avoided by checking the hash before insertion.
Each commit includes:
- A unique hash
- Message
- Optional parent commit
- Associated branch
On commit, the branches table is updated with the latest commit.
- Create branches pointing to a specific commit
- Update branches as new commits are added
Performs a fast-forward merge when possible. If no common ancestor is found or branches don't exist, it gracefully handles the error.
The Tkinter GUI allows users to:
- Input data for commits, branches, retrieval
- View output like commit history and file content
- Get feedback for success or errors in real time
This MySQL version control system can be used in a variety of real-world scenarios, including:
- Database Change Tracking: Maintain a history of changes in database records, such as configuration files or stored scripts.
- Educational Tools: Demonstrate version control concepts (branches, commits, merges) in a simple and visual manner for students learning databases and Git.
- Lightweight Team Collaboration: Allow multiple developers to simulate Git-like workflows while working directly with SQL databases.
- Data Experimentation: Safely experiment with changes to data or schema, with the ability to revert or merge modifications.
- Custom DevOps Pipelines: Integrate with deployment systems to manage different versions of DB content across environments.
You can check these out for easier understanding and further learning:
- MySQL Python Connector Docs – https://dev.mysql.com/doc/connector-python/en/
- Tkinter GUI Guide – https://docs.python.org/3/library/tkinter.html
- Open-Source Git Internals Book – https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Internals-Plumbing-and-Porcelain
- Hashlib in Python (for content hashing) – https://docs.python.org/3/library/hashlib.html
- Software Design Patterns for Versioning Systems – https://martinfowler.com/bliki/VersionControl.html
- Designing Git-like Branching in SQL – https://github.blog/2020-12-17-commits-are-snapshots-not-diffs/
- GitHub Engineering Blog – https://github.blog/engineering/
👨💻 Developed by - @Arijit2175