How to edit Docker container files from the host?

Question

Now that I found a way to expose host files to the container (-v option) I would like to do kind of the opposite:

How can I edit files from a running container with

Answer 1

The best way is:

  $ docker cp CONTAINER:FILEPATH LOCALFILEPATH
  $ vi LOCALFILEPATH
  $ docker cp LOCALFILEPATH CONTAINER:FILEPATH

Limitations with $ docker exec: it can only attach to a running container.

Limitations with $ docker run: it will create a new container.