Skip to content
Docker

Dockerfile API Reference

Dockerfile instructions for building reproducible container images layer by layer.

By EZ4Code Team

Instructions

Declarative directives parsed top-to-bottom to assemble a container image.

FROM image[:tag] [AS stage]

Sets the base image for subsequent instructions. Must be the first non-arg instruction.

Returns: void

RUN <command> | RUN ["exec", "arg1", ...]

Executes a command in a new layer on top of the current image and commits the result.

Returns: void

COPY [--chown=user:group] src... dest

Copies new files or directories from the build context into the image filesystem.

Returns: void

WORKDIR path

Sets the working directory for RUN, CMD, ENTRYPOINT, COPY and ADD instructions that follow it.

Returns: void

ENV KEY=VALUE

Sets an environment variable that persists in the built image and containers run from it.

Returns: void

EXPOSE port[/protocol]

Documents which ports the container listens on at runtime. Does not publish the port.

Returns: void

CMD ["exec", "arg1", ...] | CMD command arg1 ...

Provides default executable and arguments for the container. Overridable at runtime. Only the last CMD takes effect.

Returns: void

ENTRYPOINT ["exec", "arg1", ...]

Configures the executable that always runs when the container starts. CMD arguments are appended.

Returns: void

More Docker API References