What is the function of the `docker pull` command?

The docker pull command is specifically designed to download an image from a Docker registry to your local machine. This command connects to the configured Docker registry, retrieves the requested image (and its layers), and places it in your local Docker image repository. This functionality is essential for integrating and deploying applications, as it allows developers and systems to access pre-built images from Docker Hub or other registries, ensuring that the necessary images are available for creating containers.

Using docker pull, you can specify the image name and optionally the tag (version) of the image you wish to download. If no tag is specified, Docker defaults to pulling the latest version of the image. This command plays a crucial role in Docker’s workflow, making it easy to start with existing container images or to get the latest versions of images you need for your projects.