Welcome to Azure Functions!

Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that enables you to run event-driven code without explicit infrastructure management. It's a powerful way to build microservices, respond to data changes, and run scheduled tasks.

What You'll Learn

  • Core concepts of Azure Functions
  • Setting up your development environment
  • Creating your first function
  • Running and testing functions locally
  • Deploying functions to Azure

Step 1: Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • Azure Account: If you don't have one, you can sign up for a free account.
  • Azure Functions Core Tools: This command-line toolset lets you develop and test functions locally. Install it by following the instructions for your operating system on the official Azure Functions documentation.
  • Development Environment:
    • Visual Studio Code: Recommended, with the Azure Functions extension.
    • Visual Studio: With the Azure development workload.
    • Command Line: For simple development.

Step 2: Create Your First Function

Let's create a simple HTTP-triggered function.

Using Visual Studio Code (Recommended)

1. Open Visual Studio Code and press F1 to open the command palette.

2. Type Azure Functions: Create New Project... and select it.

3. Choose a folder for your project.

4. Select a language for your function (e.g., JavaScript, C#, Python).

5. Select the template: HTTP trigger.

6. Provide a name for your function (e.g., HttpExample).

7. Set the authorization level (e.g., Anonymous for simplicity during development).

Using the Azure Functions Core Tools (Command Line)

1. Open your terminal or command prompt.

2. Navigate to your desired project directory.

3. Run the following command:

func init MyProject --worker-runtime node --language javascript

4. Navigate into the project directory: cd MyProject

5. Create a new function: func new --template "HTTP trigger" --name HttpExample

Step 3: Run Your Function Locally

Once you've created your function, you can run it locally to test it.

Using Visual Studio Code

1. Press F5 to start debugging.

2. The terminal will show the URL of your HTTP-triggered function. Copy this URL.

Using the Azure Functions Core Tools

1. In your project directory, run:

func start

2. The output will display the local URL for your function (e.g., http://localhost:7071/api/HttpExample).

Open the URL in your web browser or use a tool like curl or Postman to send a request to it. You should see a response.

Step 4: Deploy to Azure

After testing locally, you'll want to deploy your function to Azure to make it accessible online.

Deploying can be done via:

  • Visual Studio Code extension
  • Azure CLI
  • Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions (for CI/CD)

We'll cover deployment in more detail in the next section.

Next: Create More Functions