<div id="readability-page-1" class="page"><div> <h2 id="docker-compose-for-modern-development-complete-2026-guide">Docker Compose for Modern Development: Complete 2026 Guide</h2>Docker Compose has evolved into an essential tool for modern software development. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about Docker Compose in 2026, from basic concepts to advanced production patterns.<h2 id="why-docker-compose-in-2026">Why Docker Compose in 2026?</h2>Docker Compose simplifies multi-container application management by allowing you to define your entire application stack in a single YAML file. Key benefits include:<ul><li>Reproducible environments across development, staging, and production</li><li>Easy service orchestration with dependency management</li><li>Built-in networking between containers</li><li>Volume management for persistent data</li><li>Environment variable support for configuration</li></ul><h2 id="installation">Installation</h2><h3 id="macos-and-windows">macOS and Windows</h3>Docker Compose is included with Docker Desktop. Simply install Docker Desktop:<div><pre><code># Verify installation
docker compose version
</code></pre></div><h3 id="linux">Linux</h3><div><pre><code># Install Docker Compose plugin
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-compose-plugin

# Verify
docker compose version
</code></pre></div><h2 id="basic-docker-compose-structure">Basic Docker Compose Structure</h2><h3 id="the-composeyaml-file">The compose.yaml File</h3><div><pre><code># compose.yaml (preferred over docker-compose.yml)
name: myapp

services:
 web:
 build: ./web
 ports:
 - "3000:3000"
 environment:
 - NODE_ENV=development
 depends_on:
 - api
 - db

 api:
 build: ./api
 ports:
 - "8080:8080"
 environment:
 - DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@db:5432/myapp
 depends_on:
 db:
 condition: service_healthy

 db:
 image: postgres:16-alpine
 volumes:
 - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
 environment:
 - POSTGRES_USER=user
 - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=pass
 - POSTGRES_DB=myapp
 healthcheck:
 test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U user -d myapp"]
 interval: 5s
 timeout: 5s
 retries: 5

volumes:
 postgres_data:
</code></pre></div><h2 id="essential-commands">Essential Commands</h2><div><pre><code># Start all services
docker compose up

# Start in detached mode
docker compose up -d

# Build and start
docker compose up --build

# Stop all services
docker compose down

# Stop and remove volumes
docker compose down -v

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

# View specific service logs
docker compose logs -f api

# Execute command in running container
docker compose exec api sh

# Scale services
docker compose up -d --scale worker=3
</code></pre></div><h2 id="advanced-patterns">Advanced Patterns</h2><h3 id="1-multi-environment-configuration">1. Multi-Environment Configuration</h3><div><pre><code># compose.yaml (base configuration)
services:
 api:
 build: ./api
 environment:
 - NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV:-development}
</code></pre></div><div><pre><code># compose.override.yaml (development overrides - auto-loaded)
services:
 api:
 volumes:
 - ./api:/app
 - /app/node_modules
 command: npm run dev
</code></pre></div><div><pre><code># compose.prod.yaml (production overrides)
services:
 api:
 restart: always
 deploy:
 replicas: 3
 resources:
 limits:
 cpus: '0.5'
 memory: 512M
</code></pre></div><div><pre><code># Development (uses compose.yaml + compose.override.yaml)
docker compose up

# Production
docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.prod.yaml up -d
</code></pre></div><h3 id="2-health-checks-and-dependencies">2. Health Checks and Dependencies</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 depends_on:
 db:
 condition: service_healthy
 redis:
 condition: service_started
 migrations:
 condition: service_completed_successfully

 db:
 image: postgres:16-alpine
 healthcheck:
 test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready"]
 interval: 10s
 timeout: 5s
 retries: 5
 start_period: 30s

 migrations:
 build: ./api
 command: npm run migrate
 depends_on:
 db:
 condition: service_healthy
</code></pre></div><h3 id="3-networking-best-practices">3. Networking Best Practices</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 frontend:
 networks:
 - frontend-net

 api:
 networks:
 - frontend-net
 - backend-net

 db:
 networks:
 - backend-net

networks:
 frontend-net:
 backend-net:
 internal: true # No external access
</code></pre></div><h3 id="4-secrets-management">4. Secrets Management</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 secrets:
 - db_password
 - api_key

secrets:
 db_password:
 file: ./secrets/db_password.txt
 api_key:
 environment: API_KEY
</code></pre></div><h2 id="development-workflow">Development Workflow</h2><h3 id="hot-reload-setup">Hot Reload Setup</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 frontend:
 build: ./frontend
 volumes:
 - ./frontend/src:/app/src
 environment:
 - CHOKIDAR_USEPOLLING=true

 api:
 build: ./api
 volumes:
 - ./api/src:/app/src
 - /app/node_modules
 command: npm run dev
</code></pre></div><h3 id="debugging-configuration">Debugging Configuration</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 ports:
 - "8080:8080"
 - "9229:9229" # Debug port
 command: node --inspect=0.0.0.0:9229 src/index.js
</code></pre></div><h2 id="docker-compose-watch-2026-feature">Docker Compose Watch (2026 Feature)</h2><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 build: ./api
 develop:
 watch:
 - action: sync
 path: ./api/src
 target: /app/src
 - action: rebuild
 path: ./api/package.json
 - action: sync+restart
 path: ./api/config
 target: /app/config
</code></pre></div><div><pre><code># Start with watch mode
docker compose watch
</code></pre></div><h2 id="production-considerations">Production Considerations</h2><h3 id="resource-limits">Resource Limits</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 deploy:
 resources:
 limits:
 cpus: '1.0'
 memory: 1G
 reservations:
 cpus: '0.5'
 memory: 512M
</code></pre></div><h3 id="logging-configuration">Logging Configuration</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 logging:
 driver: json-file
 options:
 max-size: "10m"
 max-file: "3"
</code></pre></div><h3 id="restart-policies">Restart Policies</h3><div><pre><code>services:
 api:
 restart: unless-stopped
 # Options: no, always, on-failure, unless-stopped
</code></pre></div><h2 id="common-patterns">Common Patterns</h2><h3 id="full-stack-application">Full-Stack Application</h3><div><pre><code>name: fullstack-app

services:
 nginx:
 image: nginx:alpine
 ports:
 - "80:80"
 volumes:
 - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
 depends_on:
 - frontend
 - api

 frontend:
 build: ./frontend
 expose:
 - "3000"

 api:
 build: ./api
 expose:
 - "8080"
 depends_on:
 - db
 - redis

 db:
 image: postgres:16-alpine
 volumes:
 - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
 environment:
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD_FILE: /run/secrets/db_password
 secrets:
 - db_password

 redis:
 image: redis:7-alpine
 volumes:
 - redis_data:/data

volumes:
 postgres_data:
 redis_data:

secrets:
 db_password:
 file: ./secrets/db_password.txt
</code></pre></div><h2 id="troubleshooting">Troubleshooting</h2><h3 id="common-issues">Common Issues</h3><div><pre><code># Container won't start - check logs
docker compose logs api

# Permission issues with volumes
# Add user mapping in Dockerfile or compose

# Network connectivity issues
docker compose exec api ping db

# Clean slate
docker compose down -v --remove-orphans
docker system prune -af
</code></pre></div><h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>Docker Compose remains the gold standard for local development and simple production deployments in 2026. Its declarative approach, combined with powerful features like health checks, watch mode, and multi-environment support, makes it an indispensable tool for modern developers.For larger production deployments, consider graduating to Kubernetes while keeping Docker Compose for local development consistency.<h2 id="resources">Resources</h2><ul><li><a href="https://docs.docker.com/compose/">Docker Compose Documentation</a></li><li><a href="https://compose-spec.io/">Compose Specification</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.docker.com/develop/dev-best-practices/">Docker Best Practices</a></li></ul> <div>이 글이 도움이 되셨다면 공감 및 광고 클릭을 부탁드립니다 :) </div></div></div>

Dev Note

Docker Compose for Modern Development: Complete 2026 Guide
Docker Compose has evolved into an essential tool for modern software development. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about Docker Compose in 2026, from basic concepts to advanced production patterns.
Why Docker Compose in 2026?
Docker Compose simplifies multi-container application management by allowing you to define your entire application stack in a single YAML file. Key benefits include:
Reproducible environments across development, staging, and production
Easy service orchestration with dependency management
Built-in networking between containers
Volume management for persistent data
Environment variable support for configuration
Installation
macOS and Windows
Docker Compose is included with Docker Desktop. Simply install Docker Desktop:
# Verify installation
docker compose version
Linux
# Install Docker Compose plugin
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-compose-plugin
# Verify
docker compose version
Basic Docker Compose Structure
The compose.yaml File
# compose.yaml (preferred over docker-compose.yml)
name: myapp
services:
  web:
    build: ./web
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=development
    depends_on:
      - api
      - db
  api:
    build: ./api
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@db:5432/myapp
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=user
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=pass
      - POSTGRES_DB=myapp
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U user -d myapp"]
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
volumes:
  postgres_data:
Essential Commands
# Start all services
docker compose up
# Start in detached mode
docker compose up -d
# Build and start
docker compose up --build
# Stop all services
docker compose down
# Stop and remove volumes
docker compose down -v
# View logs
docker compose logs -f
# View specific service logs
docker compose logs -f api
# Execute command in running container
docker compose exec api sh
# Scale services
docker compose up -d --scale worker=3
Advanced Patterns
1. Multi-Environment Configuration
# compose.yaml (base configuration)
services:
  api:
    build: ./api
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV:-development}
# compose.override.yaml (development overrides - auto-loaded)
services:
  api:
    volumes:
      - ./api:/app
      - /app/node_modules
    command: npm run dev
# compose.prod.yaml (production overrides)
services:
  api:
    restart: always
    deploy:
      replicas: 3
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: '0.5'
          memory: 512M
# Development (uses compose.yaml + compose.override.yaml)
docker compose up
# Production
docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.prod.yaml up -d
2. Health Checks and Dependencies
services:
  api:
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
      redis:
        condition: service_started
      migrations:
        condition: service_completed_successfully
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s
  migrations:
    build: ./api
    command: npm run migrate
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
3. Networking Best Practices
services:
  frontend:
    networks:
      - frontend-net
  api:
    networks:
      - frontend-net
      - backend-net
  db:
    networks:
      - backend-net
networks:
  frontend-net:
  backend-net:
    internal: true  # No external access
4. Secrets Management
services:
  api:
    secrets:
      - db_password
      - api_key
secrets:
  db_password:
    file: ./secrets/db_password.txt
  api_key:
    environment: API_KEY
Development Workflow
Hot Reload Setup
services:
  frontend:
    build: ./frontend
    volumes:
      - ./frontend/src:/app/src
    environment:
      - CHOKIDAR_USEPOLLING=true
  api:
    build: ./api
    volumes:
      - ./api/src:/app/src
      - /app/node_modules
    command: npm run dev
Debugging Configuration
services:
  api:
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
      - "9229:9229"  # Debug port
    command: node --inspect=0.0.0.0:9229 src/index.js
Docker Compose Watch (2026 Feature)
services:
  api:
    build: ./api
    develop:
      watch:
        - action: sync
          path: ./api/src
          target: /app/src
        - action: rebuild
          path: ./api/package.json
        - action: sync+restart
          path: ./api/config
          target: /app/config
# Start with watch mode
docker compose watch
Production Considerations
Resource Limits
services:
  api:
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: '1.0'
          memory: 1G
        reservations:
          cpus: '0.5'
          memory: 512M
Logging Configuration
services:
  api:
    logging:
      driver: json-file
      options:
        max-size: "10m"
        max-file: "3"
Restart Policies
services:
  api:
    restart: unless-stopped
    # Options: no, always, on-failure, unless-stopped
Common Patterns
Full-Stack Application
name: fullstack-app
services:
  nginx:
    image: nginx:alpine
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    volumes:
      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
    depends_on:
      - frontend
      - api
  frontend:
    build: ./frontend
    expose:
      - "3000"
  api:
    build: ./api
    expose:
      - "8080"
    depends_on:
      - db
      - redis
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD_FILE: /run/secrets/db_password
    secrets:
      - db_password
  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    volumes:
      - redis_data:/data
volumes:
  postgres_data:
  redis_data:
secrets:
  db_password:
    file: ./secrets/db_password.txt
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
# Container won't start - check logs
docker compose logs api
# Permission issues with volumes
# Add user mapping in Dockerfile or compose
# Network connectivity issues
docker compose exec api ping db
# Clean slate
docker compose down -v --remove-orphans
docker system prune -af
Conclusion
Docker Compose remains the gold standard for local development and simple production deployments in 2026. Its declarative approach, combined with powerful features like health checks, watch mode, and multi-environment support, makes it an indispensable tool for modern developers.
For larger production deployments, consider graduating to Kubernetes while keeping Docker Compose for local development consistency.
Resources
Docker Compose Documentation
Compose Specification
Docker Best Practices

Docker Compose for Modern Development: Complete 2026 Guide

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