A Docker HTTP client for the Java VM written in Groovy and Kotlin, supporting all Docker API endpoints.
Docker Client is a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) library written in Groovy that provides programmatic access to the Docker Engine API. It serves as a thin wrapper for HTTP requests, enabling developers to interact with Docker daemons across all major platforms without relying on the official Docker CLI binary. The library minimizes manual configuration for TLS and authentication while offering full control over API interactions.
JVM developers (using Java, Groovy, or other JVM languages) who need to integrate Docker operations into their applications, such as those building CI/CD pipelines, container management tools, or Gradle plugins that automate Docker tasks.
Developers choose this library for its comprehensive API coverage, cross-platform native support, and minimal abstraction layer that provides direct access to raw HTTP responses from the Docker daemon. It automatically respects standard Docker environment variables, reducing configuration overhead compared to manually handling TLS and authentication.
A Docker client for Java written in Kotlin and Groovy
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Supports all Docker Engine API endpoints with detailed version tracking, as shown by the coverage badge indicating 104/122 endpoints for API v1.31.
Works natively across Linux, Docker for Mac, Windows, Docker Machine, and Toolbox without platform-specific code, leveraging default socket or pipe configurations.
Respects standard Docker environment variables like DOCKER_HOST and DOCKER_TLS_VERIFY, minimizing manual TLS and authentication setup.
Returns unprocessed HTTP responses including headers and streams, giving developers low-level control for debugging or custom processing.
Requires manual construction of API payloads and handling of raw responses, making common operations verbose and error-prone compared to higher-level libraries.
The README admits the developer API is 'rough' and lacks a built-in layer for 80% of use cases, forcing developers to dig into source code or contribute improvements.
Docker Compose support mandates Java 8, which can be a constraint for projects using newer JVM versions without ensuring backward compatibility.