# Overview of docker-compose CLI

This page provides the usage information for the `docker-compose` Command.
You can also see this information by running `docker-compose --help` from the
command line.

```
Define and run multi-container applications with Docker.

Usage:
docker-compose [-f=<arg>...] [options] [COMMAND] [ARGS...]
docker-compose -h|--help

Options:
-f, --file FILE Specify an alternate compose file (default: docker-compose.yml)
-p, --project-name NAME Specify an alternate project name (default: directory name)
--verbose Show more output
-v, --version Print version and exit
-H, --host HOST Daemon socket to connect to

--tls Use TLS; implied by --tlsverify
--tlscacert CA_PATH Trust certs signed only by this CA
--tlscert CLIENT_CERT_PATH Path to TLS certificate file
--tlskey TLS_KEY_PATH Path to TLS key file
--tlsverify Use TLS and verify the remote
--skip-hostname-check Don't check the daemon's hostname against the name specified
in the client certificate (for example if your docker host
is an IP address)

Commands:
build Build or rebuild services
config Validate and view the compose file
create Create services
down Stop and remove containers, networks, images, and volumes
events Receive real time events from containers
help Get help on a command
kill Kill containers
logs View output from containers
pause Pause services
port Print the public port for a port binding
ps List containers
pull Pulls service images
restart Restart services
rm Remove stopped containers
run Run a one-off command
scale Set number of containers for a service
start Start services
stop Stop services
unpause Unpause services
up Create and start containers
version Show the Docker-Compose version information

```

The Docker Compose binary. You use this command to build and manage multiple
services in Docker containers.

Use the `-f` flag to specify the location of a Compose configuration file. You
can supply multiple `-f` configuration files. When you supply multiple files,
Compose combines them into a single configuration. Compose builds the
configuration in the order you supply the files. Subsequent files override and
add to their successors.

For example, consider this command line:

```
$ docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.admin.yml run backup_db`
```

The `docker-compose.yml` file might specify a `webapp` service.

```
webapp:
image: examples/web
ports:
- "8000:8000"
volumes:
- "/data"
```

If the `docker-compose.admin.yml` also specifies this same service, any matching
fields will override the previous file. New values, add to the `webapp` service
configuration.

```
webapp:
build: .
environment:
- DEBUG=1
```

Use a `-f` with `-` (dash) as the filename to read the configuration from
stdin. When stdin is used all paths in the configuration are
relative to the current working directory.

The `-f` flag is optional. If you don't provide this flag on the command line,
Compose traverses the working directory and its parent directories looking for a
`docker-compose.yml` and a `docker-compose.override.yml` file. You must
supply at least the `docker-compose.yml` file. If both files are present on the
same directory level, Compose combines the two files into a single configuration.
The configuration in the `docker-compose.override.yml` file is applied over and
in addition to the values in the `docker-compose.yml` file.

See also the `COMPOSE_FILE` [environment variable](envvars.md#compose-file).

Each configuration has a project name. If you supply a `-p` flag, you can
specify a project name. If you don't specify the flag, Compose uses the current
directory name. See also the `COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME` [environment variable](
envvars.md#compose-project-name)

## Where to go next

* [CLI environment variables](envvars.md)