The importance of theme source control in Shopify

Within Shopify, a theme controls the organisation, features and general style of your online store. The ability to manage and track changes to your site using source control is a game-changing function that allows developers to manage versions and track every change made to the theme’s code. In this article, we explore the benefits of using theme source control for Shopify. We will also guide you on how GitHub can be utilised for this purpose, with the benefit of free community support and access to tools. 

The Role of Theme Source Control in Shopify

As  Shopify stores grow and evolve, site owners can often customise the code within their theme with the intention of improving site operations and customer experience. However, these changes, combined with frequent updates, can lead to unexpected disruptions and annoying bugs. This is where theme source control becomes indispensable. Shopify theme control allows developers and site owners to manage their versions and track each and every change made to the code behind the theme. It is essential for:

Backup and recovery: This ensures  a working version is available to roll back to in the event of errors. 

Collaboration: When multiple developers work collaboratively, the chance of unexpected bugs grows. Theme source control makes it easier to add new features and designs collectively. 

Tracking: Shopify theme control tracks who made each change and what was changed, which can be essential when troubleshooting and finding the cause of the fault.

Culpability: If a regular contributor is causing problems, this can be identified and resolved. 

GitHub Shopify Theme Management

One of the best sources of robust tools that will enhance  Shopify theme control is GitHub. GitHub is a repository where users can store code, files and file revision history. It’s a trusted source of project files, from cryptocurrency miners to source code for Python and other programming codes. However, any form of code can be uploaded, and version controlled on GitHub, which is why it is so useful for Shopify theme control. On GitHub, site developers can take advantage of:

Repositories: These are central hubs where all theme files can be stored. Changes are tracked, and updates can be synchronised with a live Shopify store.

Branching and Mergers: Sometimes, coders develop updates and features separately from the main theme. GitHub allows the live store to carry on unaffected until these developments have been thoroughly tested and approved.

Code Review: Team members can review code changes and discuss them live on the platform, making it easy to ensure all updates meet the required standard before they go live.

Rollbacks: Because all changes are tracked, it is possible to select a previous version and revert to it in the event of a problem.

Accessing Free Support on GitHub and with Us

While it can seem daunting to implement theme source control using GitHub for those unfamiliar with version control systems, there are numerous communities on GitHub that offer free support to help eCommerce store owners develop their stores and set up theme management. These resources include online tutorials, guides, community forums and web development pages.  If you’re struggling with implementing Shopify theme control, we’re happy to point you in the right direction. Simply get in touch with us, we’d be happy to discuss your theme control needs, and we may even be able to offer you Shopify development that can launch your eCommerce store into the stratosphere. We look forward to speaking with you!