Getting Started: Quick Start Guide

Welcome to the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) documentation! This quick start guide will help you get up and running with our platform in just a few minutes. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just beginning your journey, this guide provides the essential steps to explore our powerful tools and services.

What You'll Need

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

An active internet connection.
A modern web browser (e.g., Edge, Chrome, Firefox).
(Optional) A free Microsoft account for accessing certain services.

Step 1: Sign Up / Sign In

If you don't already have a Microsoft account, you can create one for free. This account will be your gateway to many of our developer resources.

Visit account.microsoft.com/account/signup to create your account, or login.live.com to sign in.

Step 2: Explore the Developer Portal

Our Developer Portal is your central hub for all things development. Here you can:

Discover available APIs and SDKs.
Access documentation and learning resources.
Manage your applications and subscriptions.
Find community support.

Navigate to the Developer Portal to begin your exploration.

Step 3: Set Up Your First Project

Let's get your development environment ready. The exact steps may vary depending on the technology you choose, but here’s a general outline:

Choose a Service: Decide which MSDN service you want to integrate with (e.g., Azure Functions, Microsoft Graph, etc.).
Install SDK/Tools: Follow the specific instructions for your chosen service to install the necessary SDKs or development tools. For example, to work with Azure Functions, you might install the Azure Functions Core Tools:
```
npm install -g azure-functions-core-tools@3 --unsafe-perm true
```
Create a New Project: Use the command-line interface (CLI) or your preferred IDE to create a new project. For Azure Functions, you might run:
```
func init MyFunctionApp --worker-runtime node --language javascript
```
Run Locally: Test your initial setup by running your project locally. For Azure Functions:
```
cd MyFunctionApp
```
```
func start
```

For detailed setup instructions for specific services, please refer to their respective documentation pages.

Step 4: Make Your First API Call

Now, let's integrate with one of our services. We'll use a simple example of fetching data from Microsoft Graph.

You'll typically need an access token. For quick testing, you can obtain one using the Microsoft Identity Platform. Once authenticated, you can make a request to the Microsoft Graph API:

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

This request will return information about the authenticated user.

Refer to the Microsoft Graph API Reference for a comprehensive list of available endpoints.

Next Steps

Congratulations on completing the quick start guide! You're now ready to dive deeper.

Explore our Core Concepts to understand the fundamental principles of our platform.
Browse the API Reference for detailed information on all available endpoints.
Follow our Tutorials for hands-on guidance on building specific applications.

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