Using Containers for Development
When building projects, you'll need databases, caches, and other services. Installing these directly on your computer creates problems: version conflicts, leftover files, and a cluttered system. Containers solve this by running services in isolated environments.
Why Containerize Development
Installing PostgreSQL directly means it runs constantly, uses system resources, and leaves configuration files scattered across your machine. Uninstalling rarely removes everything cleanly.
With containers, each service runs in isolation. When you're done with a project, delete the container — everything disappears. No leftover databases, no conflicting versions, no cleanup headaches.
Containers also make sharing easy. Your docker-compose.yml file describes exactly what services your project needs. Anyone can run the same setup with one command.
What to Containerize
Always containerize databases. PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis — run them all in containers. Your system stays clean, and you can run different versions for different projects.
Backend services benefit too. Message queues, search engines, and other infrastructure run well in containers.
Frontend development usually doesn't need containers. Running npm start directly is simpler for most frontend work.
Docker Basics
Docker is the most common container tool. Install Docker Desktop once, and you can run containers for any project.
# Run PostgreSQL in a container
docker run --name my-postgres \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret \
-p 5432:5432 \
-d postgres
This command starts PostgreSQL, sets a password, and maps port 5432 so your application can connect to localhost:5432. The database runs isolated in its container.
Docker Compose for Multiple Services
Most projects need several services together. Docker Compose manages them with a single configuration file:
services:
db:
image: postgres
environment:
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: secret
ports:
- "5432:5432"
redis:
image: redis
ports:
- "6379:6379"
Run docker-compose up and both services start. Run docker-compose down and they stop. Simple.
Getting AI Help
AI can generate Docker configurations for your specific needs:
"Help me set up Docker for my project. I need PostgreSQL
for the database and Redis for caching. Create a
docker-compose.yml with persistent storage for the database."
AI will generate a complete configuration you can use immediately.
See More
- What Are Containers?
- From Development to Production Containers
- Docker Compose for Multiple Services
- Container
- Docker