How do you Prevent File Overwriting with Multiple Programmers? [HELP]

I have a few programmers working from different locations on the same site.

Generally they are specialist so one might be good at making plugins, other is optimizing content, other is doing security, other is doing design.

There's a chance they might end up working on the same file, and overwrite each others work.

How do I stop this? Is it possible for them to lock out certain files.

I know programs like Dreamweaver have this option, but chances are they will all have their own programs they use.

 

This is what git and subversion are for. Otherwise, the only way is to have a central authority that checks in/out code from a repository so no one overwrites the main code.

 

If they are using Visual Studio, they may be more comfortable with Visual Source Safe. If you/they have no preference, my recommendation is the open source subversion.

It takes a little work to bring your projects under source control, but it is essential when you have more than one person working on the project.

 

Thanks guys.

So would the next step be simply getting one of my developers to install subversion?

 

Yes, at the bottom of this page are choices for a few different 'builds' of subversion. http://subversion.apache.org/packages.html

I happen to like this one best. It was easy enough for me to install: http://www.visualsvn.com/server/ and it is of course free.