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+# Use a specific version of the Python base image to ensure consistency across builds
+FROM python:3.9-slim
+
+# Set the working directory in the Docker container
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Copy only the requirements file to the working directory to leverage Docker cache
+COPY requirements.txt ./
+
+# Install any required packages specified in requirements.txt
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+# Copy the rest of the application code to the container
+COPY . .
+
+# Expose port 6000 to allow communication to/from the server
+EXPOSE 6000
+
+# Command to run the application when the container starts
+CMD ["python", "app.py"]