How I Streamlined My Development Workflow with Docker Compose

This is a small, multi-service stack that I used to replace ad-hoc local processes. The stack runs a web app, a Postgres database and a reverse proxy. I wrote a single Docker Compose file to bring them up together. The aim was simple: predictable environments, faster onboarding and less time fiddling with ports, volumes and networking.

Overview of the application stack

• A web service (Node.js or similar) that serves the app.
• A Postgres service for data.
• An nginx reverse proxy for local TLS and routing.
• A named volume for Postgres data and a user-defined network so services discover each other by name.

Key components of the Docker Compose setup

• Service definitions: image, build, ports, volumes, environment.
• Networks: a single bridge network for service discovery.
• Volumes: persistent storage for databases.
• Healthchecks: quick failure detection for the web and DB services.

Expected outcomes from the workflow

• Single command bring-up and tear-down of the whole stack.
• Reproducible local environments matching CI or staging.
• Less friction when switching branches or testing features.
• Clear steps for developers and consistent service logs.

Prerequisites

Required software installations

1. Docker Engine installed and working.
2. Docker Compose. Modern Docker bundles Compose V2 as the docker compose command. If your setup uses docker-compose (hyphen), adapt commands.
3. A text editor and basic shell access.

Necessary accounts and permissions

• A user in the docker group or root access for running Docker commands.
• No cloud accounts needed for a local dev stack.

Basic knowledge requirements

• Comfort with the shell and editing YAML.
• Basic docker concepts: images, containers, volumes, networks.
• Familiarity with building and running containers helps, but I show the commands you need.

I tested this on a Linux desktop. Any modern Linux distro, macOS or Windows WSL2 will work. Small differences exist with macOS file sharing and Windows path handling; be aware.

Use a recent Docker Engine and Docker Compose. I ran it with the Docker Desktop bundle and the docker compose command. If you have the older docker-compose binary, the YAML is largely compatible but commands differ slightly.

The stack uses a user-defined bridge network created by Compose. That gives DNS-style service names, for example the web service can reach the database at postgres:5432. If your machine blocks Docker bridge networks (corporate VPNs sometimes do), switch to host networking for testing or adjust your firewall rules.

Setting up your Docker environment

1. Install Docker and ensure the daemon runs.
2. Add your user to the docker group or use sudo.
3. Test with docker run –rm hello-world.

Writing the Docker Compose file
Create docker-compose.yml at your project root. 

version: '3.8'
services:
web:
build: ./web
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- DATABASEURL=postgres://postgres:password@postgres:5432/appdb
dependson:
- postgres
postgres:
image: postgres:15
environment:
- POSTGRESPASSWORD=password
- POSTGRESDB=appdb
volumes:
- pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
proxy:
image: nginx:stable
ports:
- "80:80"
volumes:
- ./proxy/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
volumes:
pgdata:

I include a healthcheck in production-adjacent setups, but keep it simple for local work.

Running your Docker Compose commands

1. Build and start in detached mode:

   • docker compose up --build -d

2. Tail logs:

   • docker compose logs -f

3. Stop and remove:

   • docker compose down --volumes

Managing services and containers

• Restart a single service:

  • docker compose restart web

• Rebuild one service:

  • docker compose build web && docker compose up -d web

• Enter a running container:

  • docker compose exec web /bin/sh

Scaling your application
Compose supports scaling for stateless services:

• docker compose up -d --scale web=3

  Use this for simple load tests or parallel workers. Stateful services like Postgres must remain single-instance unless you add clustering.

Checking service status

• docker compose ps

  shows the status and published ports.

• docker inspect
  on a container gives detailed info when you need it.
• docker compose logs -f web shows realtime output.
• Add –tail 100 to limit initial output.
  Watch logs while you exercise the app to confirm readiness and to catch errors early.

Testing application functionality

1. Curl the proxy or open the web port in your browser.
2. Check database connectivity from the app container:

   • docker compose exec web sh -c \"curl -sS http://postgres:5432 || echo 'no db' \"

3. Run healthcheck endpoints if your app exposes them.
   If a service does not respond, check its logs and health status before changing config.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their fixes

• Port already in use: change the left side of the port mapping or stop the local process.
• Permission denied on volumes: ensure Docker has permissions for the host path or use named volumes.
• Container exits immediately: inspect logs with docker compose logs and check the CMD/ENTRYPOINT.

Debugging

1. Reproduce the failure with docker compose up without -d to watch start-up.
2. Use docker compose exec to run commands inside the container.
3. Check network connectivity between containers with ping or nc inside one container.
4. Use docker system prune -f carefully to clear stale images and volumes if storage is the problem.

Resources

• The official Docker Compose documentation covers syntax and advanced features.
• Local community forums, GitHub discussions or your team’s chat are useful when you hit environment-specific issues.

I replaced a bunch of brittle local scripts with a single docker-compose.yml. That gave me predictable environments, better logs and a repeatable developer workflow. Starting the full stack now takes a single command and a couple of minutes.

Next projects

• Add a CI job that uses the same Compose file for integration tests.
• Introduce a lightweight service mesh or service discovery if you want more advanced container orchestration.
• Swap Postgres for a managed service when you move to staging.

Resources and support
Read the official Docker Compose docs and try example stacks. If you get stuck, share the minimal docker-compose.yml and container logs when asking for help. That speeds any diagnosis.