| title | description | notoc | 
| Reference documentation | This section includes the reference documentation for the Docker platform’s various APIs, CLIs, and file formats. | true | 
This section includes the reference documentation for the Docker platform's
various APIs, CLIs, and file formats.
File formats
| File format | Description | 
| Dockerfile | Defines the contents and startup behavior of a single container | 
| Compose file | Defines a multi-container application | 
Command-line interfaces (CLIs)
| CLI | Description | 
| Docker CLI | The main CLI for Docker, includes all dockercommands | 
| Compose CLI | The CLI for Docker Compose, which allows you to build and run multi-container applications | 
| Daemon CLI (dockerd) | Persistent process that manages containers | 
Application programming interfaces (APIs)
| API | Description | 
| Engine API | The main API for Docker, provides programmatic access to a daemon | 
| Registry API | Facilitates distribution of images to the engine | 
| Docker Hub API | API to interact with Docker Hub | 
| DVP Data API | API for Docker Verified Publishers to fetch analytics data | 
Drivers and specifications