Creating a C++ project in a Docker container

01 Oct 2023

docker

In this tutorial, we will learn how to set up a development environment for a C++ project using Docker. Docker provides a way to encapsulate dependencies and create portable development environments, making it easier to share and collaborate on projects.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, make sure you have Docker installed on your machine. You can download and install Docker from the official website: https://www.docker.com/

Step 1: Create a Dockerfile

The Dockerfile is a text file that contains instructions to build a Docker image. Let’s create a new file called Dockerfile in the root directory of your project and add the following content:

# Use the official gcc image as the base image
FROM gcc:latest

# Set the working directory to /app
WORKDIR /app

# Copy the contents of the current directory to /app
COPY . /app

# Compile the C++ code
RUN g++ -o myapp main.cpp

# Set the command to run the application
CMD ["./myapp"]

In this Dockerfile, we start with the official GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) image as the base image. We then set the working directory to /app and copy the contents of the current directory to /app in the container. Next, we compile our C++ code using the g++ compiler, and finally, we set the command to run our application.

Step 2: Build the Docker Image

To build the Docker image, open your terminal or command prompt, navigate to the project directory, and run the following command:

docker build -t my-cpp-app .

This command tells Docker to build an image based on the Dockerfile in the current directory and name it my-cpp-app.

Step 3: Run the Docker Container

Once the image is built, we can create and run a Docker container based on that image. Run the following command:

docker run my-cpp-app

This command starts a new Docker container based on the my-cpp-app image. It will compile and run the C++ code inside the container.

That’s it! You have successfully set up a development environment for your C++ project using Docker. Now you can easily share the Docker image with others, ensuring consistent and reproducible builds across different machines.

#cpp #docker