Project development requires not only programming skills but also the ability to set up an effective working environment. In this article, I'll share my experience in creating a dev environment for PHP projects using Docker. I'll explain how to organize the file structure, configure Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml, and share useful tips on optimization and security. Whether you're working on a pet project or preparing for team development, these practices will help you create a reliable and flexible development environment.

This environment is based on my favorite and most frequently used tools:

• Docker for containerization
• Docker compose for container management
• Latest version of PHP
• Composer for PHP dependency management
• xDebug for application debugging
• RoadRunner for running the application in Long-Running mode
• PHP framework Yii3
• PostgreSQL database, as it supports keep-alive connections, unlike some others.