Source Code Management (SCM) is a system that helps track and manage changes to source code, enabling developers to collaborate efficiently and maintain a history of the software development process.A key feature in SCM is **branching**, which allows developers to work on separate features or fixes without disrupting the main codebase, and **merging** these changes back into the primary branch once the work is complete.Tools like **forking** allow developers to create copies of repositories to work independently, while **rebasing** is used to integrate changes while maintaining a linear project history.Conflicts can occur during merges if changes overlap, requiring developers to manually resolve them.**Checkout** enables developers to switch between different branches or versions of the code, and the **staging area** helps organize changes before committing them.