Docker Compose Configuration Standard

Manage secrets securely in Docker Compose by storing all sensitive data exclusively in `.env` files ignored by version control, then injecting them as environment variables into your ASP.NET Core containers.

Bind Docker Compose environment variables to `appsettings.json` sections using the `__` convention, aligning environment variable mapping directly with ASP.NET Core configuration binding standards.

You do not need custom environment variable prefixes for .NET configuration in Docker Compose; the standard `Section__Property` pattern loads secrets automatically from `.env` without prefixes.

Configure Docker Compose to load secrets automatically by updating your `docker-compose.yml` to map variables using the `Section__Property` pattern and ensuring all secrets are stored in the `.env` file.

This Docker Compose secrets approach works specifically for ASP.NET Core projects, enforcing best practices for configuration binding and secure secret handling within that framework's standards.

Use a `.env` file instead of hardcoding secrets in `docker-compose.yml` to ensure sensitive data is securely stored, ignored by version control, and properly injected into containers.