Docker Foundations
Containers provide consistent environments across development and production.
Image Layers
- Caching: Structure your
Dockerfileto put static layers (like OS updates) at the top and changing layers (code) at the bottom to speed up rebuilds. - Images vs Containers: An image is the blueprint; a container is the running instance.
Professional Dockerfile
- Base Images: Use official, minimal images (e.g.,
python:3.11-slim). - Commands: Master
RUN,COPY,WORKDIR,EXPOSE, andCMD/ENTRYPOINT.
Best Practices
- Single Responsibility: One service per container.
- .dockerignore: Exclude
node_modules,venv, and.gitto keep images small and secure.