Automating Code Generation With Docker

Code generation can be really useful; need to generate some models from an OpenAPI spec or a Protocol Buffer definition? No problem! Unfortunately in a team environment this can pose a few problems though: What happens when new members of staff join the team and have newer versions of the generation tools? Should generated files be checked in source control - and if so, how can you ensure that no manual modifications are present?

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Docker multi-stage builds are awesome.

I have a new found love of Docker; despite my early frustrations with CoreOS (as it was) in 2015, I have come to love the simplicity and encapsulation that containers provide. Run a single command and whoosh - you now have a completely functional unit that runs whichever package you require, and it’s nice and isolated too: awesome! In contrast though, I have no love for build processes: you’re always one step away from dependency hell, small environmental issues can prove to be show-stoppers, and you end up polluting your development or build environment with various tools and libraries. Continue reading

Utilising the Docker Engine API

Docker has cemented itself as a mainstream technology, not only for the development and deployment of web services, but also the isolation of Linux applications that need to be ran in a controlled or sandboxed environment. Whilst the docker CLI is brilliant, it can be difficult to expose this to custom utilities, or to present it’s output in a user friendly way - such as the way that Docker Swarm Visualizer does. Continue reading