In this section, we will explore the various commands available in Docker Compose. Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. With Compose, you use a YAML file to configure your application’s services. Then, with a single command, you create and start all the services from your configuration.

This command builds, (re)creates, starts, and attaches to containers for a service.

Usage:

Options:

• -d or --detach: Run containers in the background.
• --build: Build images before starting containers.

Example:

This command will start the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file in detached mode.

This command stops and removes containers, networks, volumes, and images created by docker-compose up.

Usage:

Options:

• --volumes: Remove named volumes declared in the volumes section of the Compose file and anonymous volumes attached to containers.

Example:

This command will stop and remove all containers, networks, and volumes created by docker-compose up.

This command builds or rebuilds services.

Usage:

Options:

• --no-cache: Do not use cache when building the image.
• --pull: Always attempt to pull a newer version of the image.

Example:

This command will build the services without using the cache.

This command starts existing containers for a service.

Usage:

Example:

This command will start the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file if they are stopped.

This command stops running containers without removing them.

Usage:

Example:

This command will stop the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

This command restarts running containers.

Usage:

Example:

This command will restart the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

This command lists containers.

Usage:

Example:

This command will list all the containers defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

This command views output from containers.

Usage:

Options:

• -f or --follow: Follow log output.
• --tail: Number of lines to show from the end of the logs for each container.

Example:

This command will follow the log output of the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

This command runs a command in a running container.

Usage:

Example:

This command will open a bash shell in the web service container.

This command validates and view the Compose file.

Usage:

Example:

This command will validate and display the configuration defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

1. Create a docker-compose.yml file:

2. Start the services:

3. List the running containers:

4. View the logs of the web service:

5. Stop the services:

6. Remove the services:

1. The docker-compose.yml file defines two services: web (using the nginx image) and db (using the postgres image).
2. The docker-compose up -d command starts the services in detached mode.
3. The docker-compose ps command lists the running containers.
4. The docker-compose logs web command shows the logs of the web service.
5. The docker-compose stop command stops the running services.
6. The docker-compose down command removes the stopped services, networks, and volumes.

In this section, we covered the essential Docker Compose commands that help manage multi-container applications. These commands allow you to build, start, stop, and manage your services efficiently. Understanding these commands is crucial for working effectively with Docker Compose and orchestrating your containerized applications. In the next section, we will delve into defining services in Docker Compose, where we will explore how to configure and manage services in a docker-compose.yml file.