Reference documentation
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This section includes the reference documentation for the Docker platform’s
various APIs, CLIs, and file formats.
| File format |
Description |
| Dockerfile |
Defines the contents and startup behavior of a single container |
| Compose file |
Defines a multi-container application |
Command-line interfaces (CLIs)
| CLI |
Description |
| Docker CLI |
The main CLI for Docker, includes all docker commands |
| Compose CLI |
The CLI for Docker Compose, which allows you to build and run multi-container applications |
| Daemon CLI (dockerd) |
Persistent process that manages containers |
Application programming interfaces (APIs)
| API |
Description |
| Engine API |
The main API for Docker, provides programmatic access to a daemon |
| Registry API |
Facilitates distribution of images to the engine |
| Template API |
Allows users to create new Docker applications by using a library of templates. |
Drivers and specifications