Get Started with Azure Functions
Build and deploy event-driven serverless compute solutions on Microsoft Azure.
What are Azure Functions?
Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that lets you run code on-demand without explicitly provisioning or managing infrastructure. With this serverless approach, you can build custom logic that responds to a wide variety of events and triggers.
Key benefits include:
- Event-driven: Trigger your code based on HTTP requests, timers, queue messages, blob storage events, and more.
- Scalable: Automatically scales based on demand, handling variable workloads efficiently.
- Cost-effective: Pay only for the compute time you consume.
- Language Support: Develop in your preferred language like C#, JavaScript, Python, Java, PowerShell, and more.
Quick Start: Creating Your First Function
Follow these steps to create a simple HTTP-triggered Azure Function.
1. Choose Your Development Environment
You can develop Azure Functions locally using Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, or the Azure CLI.
Learn more about setup2. Create a New Project
Use your chosen tool to create a new Azure Functions project and select an HTTP trigger template.
func init MyFunctionProject --worker-runtime dotnet cd MyFunctionProject func new --template "HTTP trigger" --name MyHttpTrigger
3. Run Locally
Execute your function locally using the Azure Functions Core Tools to test its behavior.
func start
Access the function via the provided local URL (e.g., http://localhost:7071/api/MyHttpTrigger).
4. Deploy to Azure
Deploy your function app to Azure using the Azure CLI or your preferred IDE.
az functionapp create --resource-group MyResourceGroup --consumption-plan-location eastus --name MyUniqueFunctionAppName --storage-account MyStorageAccount --runtime dotnet --functions-version 3
Common Triggers and Bindings
Azure Functions seamlessly integrates with various Azure services through triggers and bindings. This allows you to easily connect your code to data sources and other services without complex integration logic.
Some popular triggers include:
- HTTP Trigger: For building web APIs and responding to webhooks.
- Timer Trigger: For executing code on a scheduled basis.
- Blob Trigger: For processing files uploaded to Azure Blob Storage.
- Queue Trigger: For processing messages from Azure Queue Storage.
- Cosmos DB Trigger: For reacting to changes in Azure Cosmos DB.
Next Steps
Explore the rich features and capabilities of Azure Functions to build powerful serverless applications.