Create Sample Azure Function for .NET Framework with Visual Studio Code

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Posted Oct 27, 2024

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To create a sample Azure Function for .NET Framework with Visual Studio Code, you'll first need to create a new folder for your project. This folder will hold all the files necessary for your Azure Function.

Next, open Visual Studio Code, and navigate to File > Open Folder to select the folder you just created. You can then install the Azure Functions extension by clicking the Extensions icon in the left sidebar and searching for "Azure Functions".

The Azure Functions extension will provide you with a command palette that allows you to create new Azure Functions, and you can choose to create a new function from the "New Project" dialog box.

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Prerequisites

Before you start creating your Azure Function for .NET Framework, you need to meet some prerequisites.

You'll need an Azure subscription to create Azure Function Apps and related resources from Visual Studio. You can create a free Azure account if you don't already have one.

Related reading: Create an Azure Function

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To develop and test your functions on your local computer, you'll need Azure Functions Tools. These tools will allow your local functions to connect to live Azure services and enable you to debug your functions locally.

You'll also need to include Azure development workload in your Visual Studio installation to add Azure Function Tools.

Here are the prerequisites you need to meet:

  1. Azure Account
  2. Azure Functions Tools
  3. Azure development workload in Visual Studio installation

Additionally, you'll need other resources like an Azure Storage account, which will be created in your subscription when you publish your functions to Azure.

Create Azure Function

To create an Azure Function, you can use Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio. In Visual Studio Code, press F1 to open the command palette and search for "Azure Functions: Create New Project..." to create a local Azure Functions project in C#.

You'll need to provide some information, including the language (C#), .NET runtime (choose .NET 8.0 Isolated (LTS)), and template (HTTP trigger). You can also choose to make the function endpoint accessible to anyone (Anonymous authorization level).

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Here are the basic steps to create an Azure Function project in Visual Studio:

1. Choose New > Project from the File Menu.

2. Select the Azure Functions project template and click Next.

3. Enter a Project name, and then choose the .NET runtime version and function template.

4. You can also select a storage account and authorization level.

Note: The project name must be a valid C# namespace, so avoid using underscores, hyphens, or non-alphanumeric characters.

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Create an App

To create an Azure Function, you'll first need to create a Function App in Azure. This is done by selecting the Azure subscription to use, which is visible under Resources in Visual Studio Code.

The name you choose for the function app must be globally unique and valid in a URL path. You can enter a name that meets these criteria, and it will be validated to ensure uniqueness in Azure Functions.

You'll also need to select a runtime stack, which should match the language version you currently run locally. This will ensure a smooth deployment process.

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In the Azure: Activity Log panel, you can track the status of individual resources as they're created in Azure. Once the function app is created, a notification will be displayed, and the deployment package will be applied.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to create a Function App in Azure:

  1. Select the Azure subscription to use.
  2. Enter a globally unique name for the function app.
  3. Select a runtime stack that matches your local language version.
  4. Select a location for new resources, ideally a region near you.

Alternatively, you can create a Function App in the Azure Portal by logging in and clicking on "Create a resource" > "Compute" > "Function App".

Additional reading: Azure Create New App Service

Creating Project

Creating a project is the first step in creating an Azure Function. To create a local project, you can use Visual Studio Code by pressing F1 to open the command palette and running the command Azure Functions: Create New Project.

You'll need to select the directory location for your project workspace and choose Select. Make sure to create a new folder or choose an empty folder for the project workspace, and don't choose a project folder that is already part of a workspace.

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To provide the required information, you'll need to select a language for your function project, which should be C#. You'll also need to select a .NET runtime, such as .NET 8.0 Isolated (LTS).

Once you've provided the necessary information, Visual Studio Code will generate an Azure Functions project with an HTTP trigger.

Alternatively, you can create an Azure Functions project in Visual Studio by choosing the Azure Functions project template from the Create a new project dialog. You'll need to enter a Project name, select the .NET runtime version, and choose a function template, such as an HTTP trigger.

Here's a summary of the steps to create an Azure Functions project in Visual Studio:

The project Solution Explorer will look similar to the one in Example 4, with important files such as host.json, local.settings.json, and Function1.cs.

Development and Testing

To develop and test an Azure Function, you need to follow a series of steps. Create a new function inside the Function App, choosing a trigger type based on your scenario, such as an HTTP trigger for order processing.

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You'll then implement the function logic, writing code that processes order requests, validates data, and performs necessary actions. To test the function locally, you can use Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code to debug and test the Azure Function.

Use tools like Postman or curl to send test HTTP requests to the local Azure Function endpoint. You can also use the Azure Functions Tools to run the Azure Functions project on your local development computer, listening on a local port (usually 7071) and providing endpoints for testing.

Create Local Project

To create a local project, you'll use Visual Studio Code to create an Azure Functions project in C#. Press F1 to open the command palette and search for and run the command Azure Functions: Create New Project.

You'll need to select the directory location for your project workspace and choose Select. This can be a new folder or an empty folder for the project workspace.

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The prompts will ask for the following information: language, .NET runtime, template, function name, namespace, authorization level, and how to open the project. Choose C# as the language, .NET 8.0 Isolated (LTS) as the .NET runtime, and HTTP trigger as the template.

The function name should be HttpExample, and the namespace should be My.Functions. Authorization level should be set to Anonymous, which enables anyone to call your function endpoint.

After providing the required information, Visual Studio Code will generate an Azure Functions project with an HTTP trigger. You can view the local project files in the Explorer.

Here's a summary of the required information:

Develop

Developing Azure Functions is a straightforward process. You can create a new function inside a Function App, choosing a trigger type based on your scenario, such as an HTTP trigger for order processing.

To implement function logic, you'll write the code for your Azure Function, processing order requests, validating data, and performing necessary actions.

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You can debug and test your Azure Function locally using Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code, sending test HTTP requests to the local Azure Function endpoint using tools like Postman or curl.

To create an Azure Functions project locally, use Visual Studio Code to create a new project in C#. You'll be prompted to select a language, .NET runtime, and template for your project's first function.

Here are the steps to create a local Azure Functions project:

  • Press F1 to open the command palette and search for and run the command Azure Functions: Create New Project.
  • Select the directory location for your project workspace and choose Select.
  • Provide the necessary information, such as selecting C# as the language and .NET 8.0 Isolated (LTS) as the runtime.
  • Choose an HTTP trigger as the template for your project's first function.
  • Type in a function name, such as HttpExample, and a namespace, such as My.Functions.
  • Select Anonymous as the authorization level, which enables anyone to call your function endpoint.
  • Select Open in current window to view your project files in the Explorer.

By following these steps, you'll be able to create a local Azure Functions project and start developing your functions.

Publish and Deploy

To publish and deploy your Azure function, you'll need to follow these steps.

Right-click on the project in Solution Explorer and select Publish option.

In the Publish dialog box, select the Azure option as a target and click the Next button.

You can choose Azure Function App (Windows) to create a function app that runs on Windows.

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The Function App (Windows) screen allows you to configure settings related to the Azure function app.

You need to provide a globally unique name for your function app.

You can select an existing Azure subscription or create a new one from the drop-down list.

Select the resource group in which you want to create your function app.

You can choose a plan type for the Azure function app, such as a consumption plan.

Choose a location for your Azure function app, ideally near you or other services your function accesses.

You need to choose an Azure storage account required by the Functions runtime.

Click Create button to create a function app and its related resources in Azure.

Make sure that the Run from package file is checked in the Functions instance screen.

Select the Finish button to complete the publishing wizard.

You'll see a review page where you can review or edit any setting you want.

Click the Publish button to start the publishing process.

After publishing, you can view your function app on Azure by logging in to the Azure portal and clicking the Function App icon or searching Function App in the search box.

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API and Visual Studio

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You can use Visual Studio to develop, test, and deploy Azure Functions as C# class libraries, which allows for a great debugging and editing experience.

Visual Studio is an amazing tool for developing cloud-based serverless applications targeting Azure, and it allows you to publish Azure functions apps directly to the Azure cloud.

To create a new Azure Functions application, you can use the Create a new Azure Functions application dialog to configure different settings of the Azure Functions app.

Here are some of the advantages of using Visual Studio for creating Azure Function Apps:

  • You can edit, build and run Azure functions on your local development computer.
  • You can publish Azure functions apps directly to the Azure cloud.
  • You can create Azure resources such as Azure Function Apps, Storage accounts, resource groups, etc. on Azure cloud as needed.
  • You can use C# attributes to declare Azure function bindings in C# code.
  • You can develop and deploy pre-compiled C# functions which provide better cold-start performance than C# script-based functions.
  • You can use all the features available in C# language in your Azure functions code
  • You can enjoy a great debugging and editing experience with Visual Studio along with all the cool features, e.g. IntelliSense, CodeLens, etc.

Visual Studio Benefits

Visual Studio is an amazing tool for developing cloud-based serverless applications targeting Azure, allowing you to develop, test and deploy Azure Functions as C# class libraries.

You can edit, build and run Azure functions on your local development computer. This is a huge time-saver, as you can test and debug your functions without having to deploy them to the cloud first.

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Visual Studio also allows you to publish Azure functions apps directly to the Azure cloud, making it easy to get your functions up and running in the cloud.

You can use C# attributes to declare Azure function bindings in C# code, giving you a lot of flexibility when it comes to designing your functions.

Developing and deploying pre-compiled C# functions provide better cold-start performance than C# script-based functions.

You can use all the features available in C# language in your Azure functions code, making it easy to write efficient and effective functions.

Here are some of the advantages of using Visual Studio for creating Azure Function Apps:

  • You can edit, build and run Azure functions on your local development computer.
  • You can publish Azure functions apps directly to the Azure cloud.
  • You can use C# attributes to declare Azure function bindings in C# code.
  • You can develop and deploy pre-compiled C# functions which provide better cold-start performance than C# script-based functions.
  • You can use all the features available in C# language in your Azure functions code.
  • You can enjoy a great debugging and editing experience with Visual Studio along with all the cool features, e.g. IntelliSense, CodeLens, etc.

API

APIs are the backbone of modern software development, and Azure Functions API is a powerful tool in this regard. A function in Azure Functions is a deployable unit that needs to be invoked, and that's where triggers fit in.

Triggers are events that cause a single function to run, and each function in a function app has its own trigger, configured by a binding. There are several trigger types available, covering common scenarios.

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In Azure Functions, a function's name is usually RunAsync, but having several different classes with this function name gets confusing quickly. To make the name friendly, use the FunctionName attribute.

The output binding is another attribute of importance, specifying what resource the function should connect to. It's a great way to chain resources together in Azure, for example, input via an HTTP trigger to a queue or to CosmosDB.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Azure support .NET framework?

Yes, Azure supports .NET Framework, specifically versions 4.6.1 and higher. You can easily integrate Azure services into your .NET application by installing the Azure SDK and following a few simple steps.

Claire Beier

Senior Writer

Claire Beier is a seasoned writer with a passion for creating informative and engaging content. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for simplifying complex concepts, Claire has established herself as a go-to expert in the field of web development. Her articles on HTML elements have been widely praised for their clarity and accessibility.

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