Reference documentation

This section includes the reference documentation for the Docker platform's various APIs, CLIs, drivers and specifications, and file formats.

File formats

Defines the contents and startup behavior of a single container.

Defines a multi-container application.

Command-line interfaces (CLIs)

The main Docker CLI, includes all docker commands.

The CLI for Docker Compose, for building and running multi-container applications.

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Daemon CLI (dockerd)

Persistent process that manages containers.

Application programming interfaces (APIs)

The main API for Docker, provides programmatic access to a daemon.

Facilitates distribution of images to the engine.

API to interact with Docker Hub.

API for Docker Verified Publishers to fetch analytics data.

Drivers and specifications

Image specification

Describes the various components of a Docker image.

Registry token authentication

Outlines the Docker Registry authentication schemes.