ELI5: can you quickly tell me, how visual souresafe works

What is Visual SourceSafe?

Visual SourceSafe (VSS) is an old tool that helps programmers keep track of different versions of their code, like saving multiple drafts of a homework assignment [1][2]. It lets multiple people work on code and stores all the changes in one central place.

How does it store your work?

VSS saves your code files on a shared network folder that everyone can access, similar to how a shared Google Drive works but designed specifically for code [3]. Every time you save your work, VSS creates a copy so you can go back to old versions if something breaks.

Why do people not like it?

Programmers dislike VSS because it doesn't work well over the internet—it only works on local networks—and it has trouble when multiple people try to work on the same file at the same time [3][4]. It also doesn't support advanced features like branching, which lets teams experiment with different code versions [4].

What do people use instead?

Today, most programmers use better tools like Git or Team Foundation Server (TFS) instead of Visual SourceSafe [2]. These modern tools work better over the internet and handle teamwork much more smoothly.