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Using MkDocs with Docker: Streamlining Documentation Workflow

Introduction

Looking to streamline your documentation workflow using MkDocs and Docker?

Documentation lies at the heart of every successful project. MkDocs offers a straightforward way to create elegant documentation sites, while Docker ensures a consistent and isolated environment for various applications. Combining these tools optimizes the documentation process and enhances collaboration within development teams.

This tutorial serves as your guide, illustrating how to set up MkDocs within a Docker container effectively. By following these steps, you'll establish a robust documentation framework, facilitating seamless documentation creation and deployment.

Let's dive into the process of integrating MkDocs with Docker to revolutionize your documentation workflow.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following files in the same directory:

  1. docker-compose.yml
  2. requirements.txt (or your specific requirements file)

For example,

# python 3.9.18
mkdocs==1.5.3
mkdocs-material==9.4.7
mkdocs-material-extensions==1.3
mkdocs-minify-plugin==0.7.1
mkdocs-roamlinks-plugin==0.3.2
  1. mkdocs.yml (the MkDocs configuration file)
  2. A folder named docs containing your documentation files
  3. Optionally, a .dockerignore file to exclude unnecessary files from the Docker image

For example,

venv/

Setting Up MkDocs with Docker

Let's create a docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'

services:
  mkdocs:
    image: python:3.9.18
    volumes:
      - ./:/app/
    working_dir: /app
    ports:
      - "49162:8000"
    command: >
      bash -c "
        pip install -r requirements.txt &&
        mkdocs serve -a 0.0.0.0:8000"

Ensure your requirements.txt contains the necessary dependencies as outlined in the example. Customize it based on your project's requirements.

After placing all the required files in the same directory, open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to this directory.

Execute the following command:

docker-compose up

This command builds the Docker image and starts the MkDocs server. Access the MkDocs site by visiting http://localhost:49162 in your web browser.

hot reload

As mkdocs rebuild all the files when changes are made, you may want to add the --dirty option to mkdocs serve to rebuild only the modified files. Read more about it in the mkdocs tutorial

Conclusion

Integrating MkDocs with Docker simplifies the setup process, ensuring consistency across different environments. It provides an isolated space for documentation management, enhancing collaboration and deployment.

Remember to replace placeholder file names (requirements.txt, docs, etc.) with your actual file names if they differ.

By following this guide, you've streamlined your documentation workflow using MkDocs within a Docker container, fostering efficient documentation management for your projects.