Use docker cp When
You need to inspect or extract files from a container occasionally.
You are moving data in a one-off debugging or recovery situation.
Compare
docker cp vs volumes
When to move files in and out of containers directly and when to rely on mounted storage.
`docker cp` is useful for ad hoc file transfer. Volumes and bind mounts are better when file access is part of the regular runtime design of the container.
Use Volumes When
The application needs stable mounted data during normal runtime.
You want persistent storage or shared host-container file access.
Rule of Thumb
cp is ad hoc. Volumes are part of the design.
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