How to use Docker to dockerize a React app, Nodejs and Nginx reverse proxy - step by step tutorial

Welcome to Codeching channel! In this tutorial I will show you how to use Docker to dockerize a React application with Nodejs backend and Nginx proxy. It is a step by step video where first we will write a minimalist webserver app using Express. We will extend our previous docker-compose file to create a backend container and using nginx proxy for the backend.

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My name is László Leber

[Derrick-fm]

Man u are an nginx ninja. No one on stackoverflow was able to provide a simple explanation for this proxy container nightmare. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Anyone who can explain difficult topics in such simple terms is a true expert. Thanks buddy.

[saurovk]

Very well explained. This really helped. Thank much for serving the community.

[sreekarreddy]

Loved your tutorial. Keep them coming!

[vorashilfarzaliyev]

Thanks a lot, Codeching. This is a great tutorial!

[sheel]

hey, @codeching don't stop man! you are creating really great content and I would like to collaborate with you.

[superkeil]

Well, nice short video. Yet i miss the understanding of the linking of nginx and the backend in the nginx.conf. I saw you typed backend:9000, but what is "backend" ? is it a domain name resolved by your etc/hosts or is it the identifier of the service defined in the dockerfile, or is it something else ?

[mohamedalaa]

Do I have to use docker compose ? Is there another way to make the frontend call the backend through nginx with only the Dockerfile without compose ?

[muhamadalfatih]

Hi @codeching, can I use the same port to the frontend and backend? like port 80 maybe, and how if the frontend and backend are separating by 2 directories, where should I create the Dockerfile and the docker-compose file?

[Mellowjay]

You going off the screen coming back, moving around the screen is kind of distracting! 😄
Great tutorial though! 👌

[zorgimax]

thanks, but you should really put the github repo with final results.