Ah, the age-old debate of monorepos versus multirepos. It's a question as old as time... or at least as old as version control systems. Let's delve into this, shall we?
1. Monorepo Advantages:
- Code Sharing and Reuse: In a monorepo, libraries, modules, or services can easily be shared and reused across multiple projects. This can lead to more consistent code and less duplication.
- Simplified Dependency Management: With everything in one place, managing interdependencies between different parts of your codebase can be much simpler.
- Unified Versioning: A monorepo represents a single source of truth. There's one version of everything, and that can make things easier to manage.
- Refactoring Simplified: If you need to make sweeping changes that span multiple projects, it's much easier to do in a monorepo.
2. Multirepo Advantages:
- Codebase Size: Each repo has a smaller, more manageable codebase. This can make it easier to understand the code and reduce the time it takes for new developers to get up to speed.
- Reduced Scope of Impact: Changes in one repo are less likely to inadvertently affect code in another repo.
- More Control Over Repo Access and Code Review Processes: With multiple repos, you can have more granular control over who has access to what and how code reviews are handled.
- Independence: Teams can work independently on their own repos, which can lead to increased productivity and speed.
As for versioning, a monorepo can simplify things because there's only one version of everything. However, this can also be a disadvantage if different teams or projects need to use different versions of the same library or service. In a multirepo setup, each repo can use whatever version it needs.
In the end, the decision between a monorepo and multiple repos depends on your specific needs and circumstances. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, and what works best for one team or project might not work as well for another.
I hope that helps, or at least, I hope it doesn't make things even more confusing. After all, life, the universe, and everything can be quite perplexing.