PHP with Docker: Streamlining Development and Deployment: A Practical Guide to Containerizing Your Development Workflow and CI/CD Pipelines

What You Will Learn in This Book: Grasp the Fundamentals: Understand the core concepts of containerization and why Docker is a game-changer for modern PHP development. You'll learn the key terminology-images, containers, volumes, and networks-and see how they solve common problems like the "it works on my machine" syndrome. Master Docker for PHP: Learn to write clean, efficient, and secure Dockerfiles specifically for PHP applications. You'll build custom images, choose the right PHP base image (FPM vs. CLI), install necessary PHP extensions, and manage dependencies with Composer, all within a container. Build a Complete Local Development Environment: Use Docker Compose to define and run a full, multi-container stack. You'll learn to seamlessly connect a PHP service with a web server like Nginx or Apache, a database like MySQL or PostgreSQL, and other essential services like Redis for caching or MailHog for testing emails. Streamline Your Daily Workflow: Discover how to integrate Docker with your favorite IDE (VS Code or PhpStorm) for a fluid development experience. You'll master running CLI tools like Composer, Artisan, or Symfony Console directly inside your containers and enable live code reloading for instant feedback as you code. Debug and Test with Confidence: Set up and configure Xdebug to easily debug your PHP code running inside a Docker container. You will also learn to create an isolated and consistent testing environment to run unit, integration, and even browser tests for your application. Prepare for Production: Learn how to optimize your Docker images for production by creating smaller, more secure, and more efficient builds using techniques like multi-stage builds. You will understand how to manage configuration and secrets safely outside of development. Implement Automated CI/CD Pipelines: Get a practical introduction to Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). You'll build real-world pipelines with GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD to automatically build, test, and push your Docker images to a container registry, automating your path to production. Deploy Your Application to the Cloud: Explore strategies for deploying your containerized PHP application. This includes deploying to a single server with Docker Compose and an introduction to the concepts of container orchestration (like Kubernetes) and deploying to modern cloud platforms. Adopt Advanced Best Practices: Go beyond the basics to learn critical security practices, such as running containers as a non-root user and scanning for vulnerabilities. You'll also cover performance optimization techniques and how to set up centralized logging and monitoring for your running application.