Getting Started with Azure Functions

Welcome to the quick start guide for Azure Functions, a serverless compute service that enables you to run code on-demand without explicitly provisioning or managing infrastructure. This tutorial will walk you through creating your first Azure Function.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

An Azure subscription. If you don't have one, you can create a free account.
Azure Functions Core Tools installed.
A supported development environment, such as Visual Studio Code with the Azure Functions extension, Visual Studio, or IntelliJ IDEA. For this guide, we'll use the Azure Functions Core Tools and a command-line interface.

Step 1: Create a Local Project

Open your preferred terminal or command prompt and create a new Azure Functions project:

bash

func init MyFunctionApp --worker-runtime dotnet --target-framework net6.0

This command creates a new folder named MyFunctionApp with the necessary project files for a .NET-based Azure Function. You can replace dotnet and net6.0 with other supported runtimes like node, python, java, or powershell.

Step 2: Create a Function

Navigate into your project directory and create a new HTTP-triggered function:

bash

cd MyFunctionApp
func new --name HttpTrigger --template "HTTP trigger" --authlevel "anonymous"

This creates a new function named HttpTrigger. The --authlevel "anonymous" setting means that anyone can call your function without providing an API key.

Step 3: Run the Function Locally

Start the local Azure Functions host to run your function:

bash

func start

The output will include the URL of your HTTP-triggered function. It typically looks something like this:

Http Functions:
    HttpTrigger: [GET,POST] http://localhost:7071/api/HttpTrigger

Step 4: Test the Function

Open your web browser or use a tool like curl to send a request to the URL provided in the previous step:

bash

curl "http://localhost:7071/api/HttpTrigger?name=Azure"

You should receive a response like:

Hello, Azure. This HTTP triggered function executed successfully.

Step 5: Deploy to Azure

Once you're satisfied with your function locally, you can deploy it to Azure. First, make sure you're logged into your Azure account via the Azure CLI:

bash

az login

Then, deploy your function app:

bash

func azure functionapp publish <YourFunctionAppName>

Replace <YourFunctionAppName> with a globally unique name for your function app in Azure.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've created and deployed your first Azure Function. Here are some resources to continue your learning:

Explore different triggers and bindings.
Learn about scaling your functions.
Discover how to monitor your functions.
Read the official Azure Functions documentation.