[Feature]: Add start to DockerComposeEnvironment

[electriquo]

Module

Core

Problem

I'm surprised to see thatDockerComposeEnvironment has commands like up(), destroy(), and stop(), but no start(). Making stop() relevant only for accessing the container (e.g. for debugging) but not for reusing the Compose environment.

Relates to #7442

Solution

Add start() to DockerComposeEnvironment.

Ref: https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/compose/start/

Benefit

Having the ability to stop and then start a Compose environment, without tearing it down completely, would be a significant performance improvement. It would help avoid the overhead of reinitializing the entire setup from scratch.

Alternatives

You tell me :)

Would you like to help contributing this feature?

No

[eddumelendez]

Hi, there is no DockerComposeEnvironment in testcontainers-java. And neither DockerComposeContainer nor ComposeContainer offer it, it only performs up and down commands. The reason to use those commands is because Testcontainers core ideas about automatic clean up.

[electriquo]

@eddumelendez There is https://java.testcontainers.org/modules/docker_compose/ and https://node.testcontainers.org/features/compose/. I fully understand the code ideas of testcontainers, and yet having the ability to stop and then start a Compose environment, without tearing it down completely, would be a significant performance improvement. It would help avoid the overhead of reinitializing the entire setup from scratch.

We would be happy if you could reconsider your decision.
Thanks.