Distributed version control for tracking changes in web applications

A method comprising:

• accessing a web server, via a user device, wherein the web server includes a web application stored in the web server, and wherein the web application is accessible by another user device to make changes to the web application, which changes are stored in a historical collection of versions of the web application in an original repository which is outside a staging area of the web server;
• accessing, via the user device, the historical collection of versions of the web application stored in the original repository;
• storing the changes to the web application made by the other user device in a historical collection of versions of the web application in a first local repository in the user device;
• detecting errors, by an error detector in the user device, in a version of the web application, stored in the first local repository, which includes the changes made by the other user device to the web application;
• and
• notifying other user devices coupled to the original repository of the errors in the version of the web application.

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer device in a user device to cause the computer device to:

• perform a change on a web application, stored in a web server having a staging area for the web application, using a user-specific instance of the user device to change the web application in the staging area;
• store the change of the web application, and parameters of the change, in a historical change collection in an original repository which is outside the staging area of the web server;
• store the change of the web application, and parameters of the change, in a historical change collection in a local repository in the user device which is outside the staging area of the web server and different than the original repository;
• and
• notify other user devices coupled to the original repository that an error in an operation of the web application has occurred.