Dockerizing:Nextjs+Strapi+Postgres - Part:1

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of Dockerizing a Next.js frontend, Strapi backend, and PostgreSQL database. Containerization is an essential skill for modern web development, allowing you to create isolated environments that streamline the deployment and management of applications. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, this guide will help you set up these powerful tools using Docker.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Development Environment

Before diving into Docker, ensure you have the following installed on your machine:

• Docker: Download and install Docker Desktop from the official Docker website.
• Node.js: Install Node.js, which is required for running Next.js and Strapi applications.
• PostgreSQL: Ensure PostgreSQL is available for local development, though we'll be using Docker for the database.

Practical Advice

• Verify installations by running docker --version and node --version in your terminal.
• Familiarize yourself with Docker commands, as you'll be using them frequently throughout this tutorial.

Step 2: Creating the Next.js Application

1. Open your terminal and navigate to the desired directory.
2. Create a new Next.js project by running:

   npx create-next-app my-next-app
   

3. Navigate into the project directory:

   cd my-next-app
   

Practical Advice

• Customize the Next.js app according to your project needs. You can start with a basic setup and add features later.
• Test your Next.js app locally by running npm run dev and visiting http://localhost:3000.

Step 3: Setting Up the Strapi Backend

1. In the terminal, navigate back to your main project directory.
2. Create a new Strapi project by running:

   npx create-strapi-app my-strapi-app --quickstart
   

3. Once the installation is complete, navigate into your Strapi project:

   cd my-strapi-app
   

Practical Advice

• Strapi allows you to create APIs quickly. Use the admin panel to set up content types and manage your data.
• Test Strapi locally by running npm run develop and visiting http://localhost:1337.

Step 4: Configuring PostgreSQL with Docker

1. Create a docker-compose.yml file in your project root directory with the following content:

   version: '3'
   services:
     postgres:
       image: postgres
       restart: always
       environment:
         POSTGRES_USER: myuser
         POSTGRES_PASSWORD: mypassword
         POSTGRES_DB: mydatabase
       ports:
         - "5432:5432"
   

2. Start the PostgreSQL service by running:

   docker-compose up -d
   

Practical Advice

• Modify the POSTGRES_USER, POSTGRES_PASSWORD, and POSTGRES_DB variables to suit your application needs.
• Ensure that PostgreSQL is working by connecting to it using a database client like pgAdmin or DBeaver.

Step 5: Connecting Strapi to PostgreSQL

1. Open your Strapi project and navigate to config/database.js.
2. Modify the database configuration to connect to your PostgreSQL instance:

   module.exports = ({ env }) => ({
     connection: {
       client: 'postgres',
       connection: {
         host: env('DATABASE_HOST', 'postgres'),
         port: env.int('DATABASE_PORT', 5432),
         database: env('DATABASE_NAME', 'mydatabase'),
         user: env('DATABASE_USERNAME', 'myuser'),
         password: env('DATABASE_PASSWORD', 'mypassword'),
       },
     },
   });
   

Practical Advice

• Ensure that the connection details match those specified in your docker-compose.yml file.
• Restart your Strapi application to apply the changes.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to set up a Dockerized environment with a Next.js frontend, Strapi backend, and PostgreSQL database. By following these steps, you've created a scalable and manageable development environment.

Next Steps

• Explore deploying your applications using Docker containers.
• Look into Docker networking to allow communication between containers.
• Consider adding more features to your Strapi backend and Next.js frontend to enhance your application.