Importância do .dockerignore e como utilizar de forma correta

The .dockerignore file is crucial for optimizing Docker image builds by excluding unnecessary files. It works similarly to .gitignore, specifying which files and directories should be ignored during the build process. This helps ensure that the image is as lightweight as possible and doesn't contain unnecessary files like local dependencies, environment-specific configuration files, and temporary artifacts. To create a .dockerignore file, simply add a file with that name to the root of your project and list the files and directories you want to ignore. Good practices include excluding local dependencies, sensitive configuration files, and keeping the .dockerignore file updated. This can significantly impact build performance, especially in large projects. Examples of .dockerignore configurations for different projects, such as Node.js, Python, and PHP, demonstrate how to exclude dependency directories, temporary files, and sensitive configuration files.