Set $PROJECT_NAME in docker-compose file - docker

Question

I am using the same docker-compose.yml file for multiple projects. I am really lazy, so I don't want to start them with docker-compose -p $PROJECT_NAME up.
As of Docker version 17.06.0, is it possible to set the variable directly in the docker-compose.yml file?

Answer 1

UPDATE: You can now use the top-level name property in your docker-compose YAML file. This is available from Docker Compose v2.3.3
This is the result of the #745 proposal. An issue which persevered for about 8 years.
Previously:
Right now, we can use the .env file to set the custom project name like this:
COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME=SOMEPROJECTNAME
It's not flexible, but it's better than nothing. Currently, there is an open issue regarding this as a proposal.

Answer 2

I know this question was asked a long time ago, but I ran into the same problem. There's a suggestion to add the feature https://github.com/docker/compose/issues/745, but they don't want to.
However, I have a Makefile in the root of the directory and then you can add something like in the Makefile:
.PHONY: container-name
container-name:
docker-compose -p $PROJECT_NAME up -d container-name
and then run make container-name
I know it isn't what you asked for, but could maybe make your life a bit easier.

Answer 3

220806 UPDATE: you can now use the top-level name property in your docker-compose YAML file.
This is the result of the #745 proposal.

Answer 4

Update as on Docker Compose version 2.3.3, name can be given in the compose file, but please note the following as per documentation compose-spec at github.com., Compose official documentation
Whenever project name is defined by top-level name or by some custom mechanism, it MUST be exposed for interpolation and environment variable resolution as COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME.
name: stitch
services:
foo:
image: busybox
environment:
- COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME
command: echo "I'm running ${COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME}"
Previously proposed solution :
You can add them as your environment variables which are available through the session in which you are bringing up your containers using the docker compose.
Ie, if you wanted to use $PROJECT_NAME somewhere inside your docker-compose.yaml then if this variable has a value in your session, then it would be picked up.
Inside the yaml you can assign it to anything as you want it. You want as a commandline arg to some script, even that is also possible. ie,
working_dir: /opt
command: /bin/bash -c './script.sh ${PROJECT_NAME}'
volumes:
- /var/run/:/host/var/run/
I'm using
docker version : Docker version 17.09.0-ce, build afdb6d4
docker-compose version : docker-compose version 1.14.0, build c7bdf9e