In the world of software development, using Docker for local development purposes has become essential nowadays. It provides an environment where developers can work in a controlled and isolated space while allowing them to build and test their applications with ease. One command that has made the development process much easier is docker compose up. This command streamlines the process from small tasks to building multiple services, making the build process simpler and quicker.

The latest release of Compose (v2.17) has introduced a new feature aimed at improving the development process - the watch command. This feature allows developers to monitor file and directory changes and perform actions in corresponding service containers. For instance, Compose automatically copies changed source files found in the web/ directory to the container's /src/web location, with Hot Module Reload support. Moreover, changes to package.json triggers Compose to rebuild the image with the latest modules.

As a response to community feedback, Docker also introduced a new docker compose alpha command and x-develop YAML section. This new development allows early feedback from the community while stabilizing the Compose specification.