Both docker and virtualenvs try to solve the same problem: separating the system side of things from the user side of things. In case of virtual envs you are getting basically a bit "shell magic" where paths are tweaked in such a way that things work as you were interfering with the system's python but you aren't. That makes it impossible to have interfering installations of python packages and versions.
Docker does the same on a more fundamental level:
Docker divides the kernel-land from the user-land. So it behaves more or less like a virtual environment; but instead of relying on "shell magic" it relies on "kernel magic".
From that point of view there is no real difference or advantage of using one over the other. It totally depends on your deployment model. If your deployment involves docker, it would make more sense to use docker from the first line of code written - and it would be a minimal smoketest for what you are doing anyways. If your deployment model doesn't involve docker, I see no advantage of using docker over a virtual environment.
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Both docker and virtualenvs try to solve the same problem: separating the system side of things from the user side of things. In case of virtual envs you are getting basically a bit "shell magic" where paths are tweaked in such a way that things work as you were interfering with the system's python but you aren't. That makes it impossible to have interfering installations of python packages and versions.
Docker does the same on a more fundamental level:
Docker divides the kernel-land from the user-land. So it behaves more or less like a virtual environment; but instead of relying on "shell magic" it relies on "kernel magic".
From that point of view there is no real difference or advantage of using one over the other. It totally depends on your deployment model. If your deployment involves docker, it would make more sense to use docker from the first line of code written - and it would be a minimal smoketest for what you are doing anyways. If your deployment model doesn't involve docker, I see no advantage of using docker over a virtual environment.