Now that we know how to download Docker Compose, we need to understand how Compose files work. It’s actually simpler than it seems. In short, Docker Compose files work by applying multiple commands that are declared within a single docker-compose.yml configuration file.

The basic structure of a Docker Compose YAML file looks like this:

Now, let’s look at a real-world example of a Docker Compose file and break it down step-by-step to understand all of this better. Note that all the clauses and keywords in this example are industry-standard and commonly used.

With just these, you can start a development workflow. There are some more advanced keywords that you can use in production, but for now, let’s just get started with the necessary clauses.