How to use the command 'fin' (with examples)

Fin is a command-line utility that is part of the Docksal development environment. It aids developers by streamlining the management, configuration, and execution of containerized environments for projects. By encapsulating numerous Docker operations, fin simplifies tasks such as starting and stopping projects, accessing container shells, and managing logs, making it an invaluable tool in the development workflow.

Start the project in the current directory

Code:

fin project start

Motivation:

Starting a project is often the first step in a developer’s workflow, especially after cloning a repository or returning to a project after a break. Using the fin project start command ensures that all necessary services defined by the project’s stack configurations (e.g., Docker services) are launched in the correct state, allowing the developer to focus on coding rather than environment setup.

Explanation:

• fin: This invokes the Docksal command-line utility, which interfaces with Docker to manage the environment and its services.
• project: This specifies that the following command pertains to a “project” operation within fin’s functionalities.
• start: This command action tells fin to initiate or launch all services associated with the project in the current directory.

Example Output:

Starting services...
Service 'db' started
Service 'web' started
Service 'cli' started
Project started successfully.

Stop the project in the current directory

Code:

fin project stop

Motivation:

When development for the day is complete or when troubleshooting issues that require a restart, stopping the project helps in releasing system resources such as memory and CPU. It is also a security best practice to stop services that are not in use to prevent unauthorized access.

Explanation:

• fin: This is the core command line utility being utilized.
• project: Indicates the command is associated with project operations.
• stop: Directs fin to halt all running services for the current project.

Example Output:

Stopping services...
Service 'db' stopped
Service 'web' stopped
Service 'cli' stopped
Project stopped successfully.

Open a shell into a specific container

Code:

fin bash container_name

Motivation:

Accessing the shell of a specific container is a common use-case for debugging, file exploration, or running any command-line utilities directly inside the container. This provides a high granularity of control, allowing developers to execute and test commands as if they were on the host machine.

Explanation:

• fin: This is the command line tool facilitating container operations.
• bash: This argument specifies that a Bash shell should be opened within the container.
• container_name: This is a placeholder for the actual name of the container you wish to access. It tells fin exactly which container’s shell to enter.

Example Output:

root@container_id:/var/www# 

Display logs of a specific container

Code:

fin logs container_name

Motivation:

Logs provide insights into the operations of an application by capturing its output. Viewing the logs of a specific container is essential for debugging and verifying that the container is running as expected. This can help identify errors, warnings, or general information pertinent to both server-side and application performance.

Explanation:

• fin: The command utility is employed for execution.
• logs: This action requests the presentation of log information from the specified container.
• container_name: This placeholder should be replaced by the actual container’s name whose logs are to be viewed.

Example Output:

2023-10-09 15:45:23 [info] Service started
2023-10-09 15:45:24 [warning] Potential issue detected
2023-10-09 15:45:25 [error] Error encountered processing transaction

Display logs of a specific container and follow the log

Code:

fin logs -f container_name

Motivation:

Following the logs of a container in real-time is especially useful when monitoring live applications for irregularities, catching ongoing errors, or verifying that new code deployments have not introduced bugs. This usage provides instant feedback as events occur within the container.

Explanation:

• fin: Indicates the use of the Docksal tool for operations.
• logs: This keyword displays log outputs.
• -f: The -f flag stands for “follow”, meaning that it will continuously stream log updates to the terminal as they are generated.
• container_name: Represents the target container’s logs to be followed in real-time.

Example Output:

2023-10-09 16:00:01 [info] Update received
2023-10-09 16:00:02 [info] Processing update...
2023-10-09 16:00:03 [info] Update processing complete

Conclusion:

Fin proves to be an indispensable tool for developers working within the Docksal environment. By abstracting the complexities of Docker commands into simple semantic actions, fin enhances productivity while maintaining robust project management capabilities. These examples illustrate its diverse functionalities, demonstrating its practical applications within daily development tasks.