Introduction to Azure Logic Apps Designer

Azure Logic Apps provides a visual way to create and run automated workflows that integrate apps, data, services, and systems. The Logic Apps Designer is a powerful, browser-based tool that allows you to design, build, and manage your logic apps with minimal code.

With Logic Apps, you can orchestrate tasks to synchronize files, collect data, send email notifications, and much more. This documentation will guide you through the features and functionalities of the Logic Apps Designer.

Azure Logic Apps Designer Overview

Getting Started

To start using the Logic Apps Designer, you'll need an Azure subscription. You can create a new logic app from the Azure portal.

  1. Navigate to the Azure portal.
  2. Click "Create a resource".
  3. Search for "Logic App" and select it.
  4. Click "Create".
  5. Fill in the required details for your logic app, including the name, subscription, resource group, and location.
  6. Choose "Consumption" for the plan type if you're starting out.
  7. Once created, open your logic app and select "Logic app designer" from the menu.

You'll then be presented with the designer interface, ready for you to define your workflow.

Core Concepts

Understanding the fundamental building blocks of Logic Apps is crucial for effective design:

Triggers

A trigger is the starting point of your logic app. It's an event that initiates the workflow. Triggers can be time-based (e.g., run every hour) or event-based (e.g., when a new file is added to a storage account, when an HTTP request is received).

Example Trigger
  • Polling Triggers: Periodically check for new data or events.
  • Push Triggers: React immediately when an event occurs.

Actions

Actions are the steps that your logic app performs after it's triggered. These can include calling APIs, writing to databases, sending notifications, transforming data, and much more.

Each action typically involves an input, processing, and an output.

Connectors

Connectors are pre-built integrations that allow your logic app to communicate with various services and applications, such as SharePoint, Office 365, Twitter, SQL Server, Azure Blob Storage, and many more. They simplify the process of connecting to different endpoints without writing custom code.

Connector Examples

You can find and add connectors directly within the Logic Apps Designer.

Workflows

A workflow is the sequence of triggers and actions that define your automation. The Logic Apps Designer visually represents this workflow as a diagram, making it easy to understand the flow of data and execution.

Designer Interface

The Logic Apps Designer provides a user-friendly interface for building and managing your logic apps.

Canvas

The central area of the designer where you visually construct your workflow. You drag and drop triggers and actions onto the canvas and configure their properties.

Logic App Canvas

Toolbar

Located at the top of the designer, the toolbar provides essential commands for managing your logic app, such as saving, running, validating, zooming, and switching between different views.

Properties Pane

When you select a trigger or action on the canvas, its configuration settings appear in the properties pane. Here you can define inputs, outputs, conditions, and other parameters.

Code View

For advanced users or for understanding the underlying structure, you can switch to Code View. This displays the logic app's definition in JSON format, allowing direct editing of the workflow's code.

To switch to Code View, click the Code View button in the designer's toolbar.


{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    // ... parameters ...
  },
  "variables": {
    // ... variables ...
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Logic/workflows",
      "apiVersion": "2019-05-01",
      "name": "[parameters('workflow_name')]",
      "location": "[parameters('location')]",
      "properties": {
        "definition": {
          "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/providers/Microsoft.Logic/logic-workflows/2019-05-01/workflowdefinition.json",
          "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
          "parameters": {},
          "triggers": {
            // ... trigger definitions ...
          },
          "actions": {
            // ... action definitions ...
          },
          "outputs": {}
        },
        "parameters": {
          // ... workflow parameters ...
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Advanced Features

Explore more advanced capabilities to enhance your logic apps:

  • Expressions: Use built-in functions and expressions to manipulate data dynamically.
  • Control Flows: Implement conditional logic, loops, and parallel branches.
  • Error Handling: Configure retry policies and exception handling for robust workflows.
  • Scopes: Group related actions for better organization and error management.
  • Managed Identities: Securely access other Azure resources without storing credentials.
  • API Management Integration: Integrate with Azure API Management for advanced API governance.

Best Practices

Follow these guidelines for designing efficient and maintainable logic apps:

  • Use Meaningful Names: Name your logic apps, triggers, and actions descriptively.
  • Modularize: Break down complex workflows into smaller, reusable logic apps.
  • Minimize API Calls: Design your workflows to be efficient by reducing unnecessary calls to external services.
  • Handle Errors Gracefully: Implement error handling and retry mechanisms.
  • Secure Credentials: Use Azure Key Vault or managed identities to store secrets.
  • Test Thoroughly: Test your logic apps with various scenarios and edge cases.
  • Monitor Performance: Regularly monitor your logic app's runs and performance metrics.