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Docker Hot Reload 🚀

  • [x] Introduction to Docker Hot Reload
  • [x] Overview of Hot Reload Concept
  • [x] What is Hot Reload? 🔄

What is Hot Reload? 🔄

Hot Reload allows developers to see changes in their application in real-time without needing to restart the application or container. This can significantly speed up development and debugging processes, making it a game-changer for developers! 💡

How to Show Logs for Any Container? 📜

You can view the logs of a running Docker container using the following command:

docker logs <container_name_or_id>
  • Example: To view logs for a container named my_app, you would run:
docker logs my_app

How to Sync Between Local App Folder and App Folder in Container 📂

To enable hot reload, you'll want to sync your local application folder with the application folder inside the Docker container. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial using the -v option:

  1. Create a Dockerfile 📄
    Set up your Dockerfile to define your application environment.
FROM node:14
WORKDIR /app
COPY package.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . ./
CMD ["npm", "start"]
  1. Build the Docker Image 🏗️
    Build the Docker image from your Dockerfile. In your terminal, run:
docker build -t my_app .
  1. Run the Docker Container with Volume Sync 🏃‍♂️
    Use the -v option to mount your local application folder to the container.
docker run -v $(pwd):/app -p 3000:3000 my_app

This command does the following:

  • -v $(pwd):/app mounts the current directory (where your application code is) to the /app directory in the container. 🔗
  • -p 3000:3000 maps port 3000 on your local machine to port 3000 in the container. 🌐

🚀 Your local changes in the app folder will automatically reflect in the container without needing to rebuild it! 🎉

Visual Representation 📊

Table: Comparison of Hot Reload vs. Traditional Reload

Feature Hot Reload Traditional Reload
Speed Instant changes Slower, requires a restart ⏳
Development Flow Smooth Disrupted ⚠️
Use Case Ideal for active development 💻 Suitable for production updates 🔒

Graph: Hot Reload Workflow

   Local Changes ✍️
       |
       v
   Sync to Container 🔄  ----> App Reruns Automatically 🔁
       |
       v
   Immediate Feedback ⚡

Conclusion 🎯

Hot Reload in Docker is a powerful feature that enhances developer productivity by allowing real-time updates. Following this guide, you can easily set it up for your applications. Happy coding! 💻✨