In previous articles, I've advocated for Access developers new to version control to get started with TortoiseHg and Mercurial, despite Git's overwhelming popularity.

By far the biggest downside to going with Mercurial is its comparatively smaller ecosystem.  In the early days of distributed version control, Git had GitHub and Mercurial had BitBucket.  BitBucket is still around, but now it only works with Git repositories.  Which leads to an obvious question:

What's the best cloud host for Mercurial repositories in 2024?

Personally, I use the shared hosting provider Opalstack to host authoritative copies of my team's repositories.  However, that's a more advanced use case that requires additional setup and it does not provide any additional features.

Helix TeamHub from Perforce offers a user-friendly platform for hosting your Mercurial repositories online. With features like online backup, issue tracking, and a built-in wiki, Helix TeamHub is particularly well-suited for solo Access developers.

The Benefits of Using a Web-Based Repository Hosting Service for Solo Access Developers

When you're working on Access projects alone, hosting your Mercurial repositories on a web-based service like Helix TeamHub can provide several key benefits:

• Online Backup: By storing your code in the cloud, you can protect against data loss due to hardware failure or other issues. This is especially important when you don't have a team to help you manage backups.
• Issue Tracking: The integrated issue tracking system helps you keep track of bugs, feature requests, and other tasks related to your Access project. This can be a lifesaver when you're working alone and need to stay organized.
• Wiki: The built-in wiki is a great place to document your Access project, making it easier to keep track of important information and decisions. As a solo developer, having a centralized place for documentation can save you time and effort.
• Unlimited Private Repositories: With Helix TeamHub's generous free plan, you can create unlimited private repositories for your Access projects. This means you can keep your code private and secure, even if you're working on multiple projects simultaneously.

By taking advantage of these features, solo Access developers can benefit from version control and project management tools that are often associated with larger teams.

Helix TeamHub's Free Plan is Perfect for Solo Developers

One of the standout features of Helix TeamHub is its free plan, which is particularly appealing for solo Access developers. The free plan includes:

• Unlimited public and private repositories
• Up to 5 users (perfect for solo developers or small teams)
• 1 GB of storage
• 1 GB of monthly bandwidth

This means that even if you're working on a small Access project with a limited budget, you can still take advantage of the benefits of web-based repository hosting without any cost.

TeamHub Features for Small Teams

While Helix TeamHub is an excellent choice for solo Access developers, it also offers a range of features that are particularly useful for small teams of 2-5 developers collaborating on projects:

• Code Review: Helix TeamHub's code review tools allow team members to provide feedback and suggestions on each other's code, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
• User Roles and Permissions: Helix TeamHub allows you to assign different roles and permissions to team members, ensuring that everyone has the appropriate level of access to your repositories and tools.
• Flexible Workflows: Helix TeamHub's workflows can adapt to your team's needs. Admins can set up feature-branch workflows and quality gates to block changes that are not approved by team members. This ensures that only reviewed and approved code makes it into your main branch, maintaining the stability and quality of your Access projects.

Conclusion

For solo Access developers looking to adopt version control with TortoiseHg and Mercurial, Helix TeamHub is an excellent choice for cloud repository hosting.

With its focus on online backup, issue tracking, documentation, and unlimited private repositories, Helix TeamHub provides the tools you need to work more efficiently and effectively. The generous free plan makes it even more appealing for solo developers and small teams.

Acknowledgements

• Article title generated with the help of Claude-3-Opus
• Article excerpt generated with the help of Claude-3-Opus
• Initial draft generated with the help of Claude-3-Opus
• Cover image generated by DALL-E-3