How to use OpenFisca with Docker

When you want to use OpenFisca, either for running simulations or editing a country package, you need to setup a specific environement. If you don’t want the OpenFisca environment to interfere with your pre-existing setup, or if you don’t have one, you can use a container such as Docker that will set everything up for you.

Run OpenFisca on Docker

1. Install Docker
2. Create a docker file in the directory you wish to work on

FROM python:2-stretch 
RUN pip install openfisca_country_template
WORKDIR /app

1. Build the container

docker build --rm -t openfisca-country-template .

1. Run the container

docker run -it openfisca-country-template bash

Interface local files with OpenFisca on Docker

If you need to run local files with your Docker image, you can interface (i.e. mount) a local directory with a directory in your docker interface. E.g. You need to update a country package such as openfisca-country-template

1. Create a Dockerfile with openfisca-core in your project directory

The Dokerfile:

FROM python:2-stretch 
RUN pip install OpenFisca-core
WORKDIR /country-template

1. Clone the country-template in the directory

The directory:

project
│   README.md
│   Dockerfile    
│
└───country-template

1. Build the container

docker build --rm -t openfisca-core .

1. Run the container

docker run -it -v /absolute/path/to/country-template/:/country-template openfisca-core bash

1. Use country-template in the Docker container Use the country-template in the docker container, any changes to the country-template local files will affect the country-template files in the container.