Docker for Web Developers
Containerizing, Building, and Deploying Modern Web Applications
What's Included:
Key Highlights
- Docker fundamentals explained through web development examples
- Docker Compose for real multi-container stacks
- Volumes, networks, and environment configuration best practices
- Dockerfile optimization for faster builds and smaller images
- Debugging and logging inside containers
- Security basics for development containers
- Production readiness and deployment workflows
- Docker in CI/CD pipelines <
Overview
Learn Docker as a web developer. Containerize apps, build multi-service stacks with Compose, optimize Dockerfiles, debug containers, secure workflows, and deploy to production.
The Problem
Web development often breaks at the boundary between environments. An application that works locally may fail in staging or production due to different dependencies, missing libraries, inconsistent configuration, or OS-level differences.
Common developer pain points include:
- “Works on my machine” deployment failures
- Slow onboarding for new team members
- Inconsistent versions of runtimes and services
- Complex local setups for databases, caches, and queues
- Fragile deployments and difficult rollbacks
- Hard-to-debug production issues
Without containerization, projects become harder to ship, harder to maintain, and harder to scale.
The Solution
Docker for Web Developers provides a clear, practical path to using Docker for real web projects—from local development to production deployment.
You will learn how to:
- Containerize web applications with clean, maintainable Dockerfiles
- Use Docker Compose to run multi-service stacks locally
- Persist data safely with volumes
- Debug and log issues inside containers
- Optimize build speed and image size
- Secure containers and dependencies
- Deploy, scale, and integrate Docker with CI/CD workflows
The result: predictable environments, faster delivery, and less time wasted on setup and deployment problems.
About This Book
Docker for Web Developers is a practical, hands-on guide to containerizing, building, and deploying modern web applications with confidence.
Every developer has heard it: “But it works on my machine.” That phrase is a symptom of inconsistent environments across development, staging, and production. Docker exists to eliminate that gap by packaging applications with their dependencies into repeatable, portable containers.
This book is written specifically for web developers—backend, frontend, and full-stack—who want to use Docker in a way that directly improves daily work: faster onboarding, consistent environments, safer deployments, and easier scaling.
Docker Fundamentals, Grounded in Web Development
You’ll start by mastering the essentials:
- Images, containers, and container lifecycle
- Volumes for persistent data
- Networking for service-to-service communication
- Best practices for local development environments
Real Multi-Container Stacks with Docker Compose
Most real web apps require more than one service. You’ll learn how to orchestrate full stacks using Docker Compose, including:
- Web + database environments
- Adding caches and queues
- Environment variables and configuration
- Local development workflows that mirror production
Optimization, Debugging, and Security
Docker becomes truly useful when you can tune and trust it. This book teaches:
- Optimizing Dockerfiles for smaller images and faster builds
- Debugging containers and reading logs without guesswork
- Securing development containers and dependencies
- Production readiness and safe deployment practices
Docker for Popular Web Stacks
Dedicated chapters show how Docker fits into the stacks developers actually use:
- PHP and Laravel workflows
- Node.js and frontend frameworks (React/Vue/Next-style workflows)
From Development to Deployment
You’ll learn how to deploy Dockerized applications, integrate Docker into CI/CD pipelines, and scale beyond a single host. The book concludes with a roadmap to cloud-native development, helping you understand how Docker connects to Kubernetes and modern infrastructure.
This book turns Docker from “something you tried once” into a reliable part of your professional web development toolkit.
Who Is This Book For?
- Backend web developers (PHP, Laravel, Node.js, etc.)
- Frontend developers who work with modern build tools and dev servers
- Full-stack developers running web + database + cache stacks
- Developers moving toward DevOps and cloud-native workflows
- Teams that want consistent environments across dev, staging, and prod
Who Is This Book NOT For?
- Readers looking for deep Docker engine internals or kernel-level container theory
- Teams already operating Kubernetes at an advanced production level (this book is Docker-first)
- Developers who want a “copy/paste only” approach without learning workflows
- Those not building web applications or web services
Table of Contents
- The Problem with “It Works on My Machine”
- Docker Fundamentals for Developers
- Containerizing a Simple Web Application
- Working with Docker Volumes
- Introduction to Docker Compose
- Web + Database Stack
- Optimizing Dockerfiles
- Debugging and Logging
- Docker with PHP and Laravel
- Docker with Node.js and Frontend Frameworks
- Securing Development Containers
- Preparing for Production
- Deploying Dockerized Web Applications
- Docker in CI/CD Pipelines
- Scaling Web Applications
- From Web Developer to Cloud-Native Developer
- Appendix: Docker Command Cheat Sheet
- Appendix: Dockerfile Templates for Web Apps
- Appendix: docker-compose.yml Templates
- Appendix: Common Docker Errors and Fixes
- Appendix: Cloud-Native Learning Roadmap
Requirements
- Basic web development knowledge (frontend, backend, or full-stack)
- Comfort using a terminal (recommended)
- Docker Desktop or Docker Engine installed for hands-on practice
- No prior Docker experience required
