azure-functions

What this skill does

# Azure Functions

Build and deploy serverless applications with Azure Functions. Covers function app creation, trigger and binding configuration, deployment strategies, real code examples in Python and Node.js, and production best practices.

## When to Use

- You need event-driven compute that scales automatically to zero.
- You are building APIs, webhooks, or background processing pipelines.
- You want per-execution billing without managing servers.
- You need to respond to Azure service events (Blob Storage, Service Bus, Cosmos DB changes).
- You are implementing lightweight microservices or scheduled tasks.

## Prerequisites

```bash
# Install Azure CLI
curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash

# Install Azure Functions Core Tools v4
npm install -g azure-functions-core-tools@4

# Verify installation
func --version

# Login
az login
az account set --subscription "my-subscription-id"

# Create supporting resources
az group create --name functions-rg --location eastus

az storage account create \
  --name myfuncstorageacct \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --location eastus \
  --sku Standard_LRS
```

## Function App Creation

### Consumption Plan (Pay-per-execution)

```bash
# Python function app on Consumption plan
az functionapp create \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --consumption-plan-location eastus \
  --runtime python \
  --runtime-version 3.11 \
  --functions-version 4 \
  --name myapp-func \
  --storage-account myfuncstorageacct \
  --os-type Linux

# Node.js function app
az functionapp create \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --consumption-plan-location eastus \
  --runtime node \
  --runtime-version 20 \
  --functions-version 4 \
  --name myapp-node-func \
  --storage-account myfuncstorageacct \
  --os-type Linux
```

### Premium Plan (VNet integration, no cold start)

```bash
# Create Premium plan
az functionapp plan create \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --name myapp-premium-plan \
  --location eastus \
  --sku EP1 \
  --is-linux true

# Create function app on Premium plan
az functionapp create \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --plan myapp-premium-plan \
  --runtime python \
  --runtime-version 3.11 \
  --functions-version 4 \
  --name myapp-premium-func \
  --storage-account myfuncstorageacct
```

## Trigger and Binding Examples

### HTTP Trigger -- Python

```python
# function_app.py (v2 programming model)
import azure.functions as func
import json
import logging

app = func.FunctionApp(http_auth_level=func.AuthLevel.FUNCTION)

@app.route(route="users/{userId}", methods=["GET"])
def get_user(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
    user_id = req.route_params.get("userId")
    logging.info(f"Fetching user: {user_id}")

    if not user_id:
        return func.HttpResponse(
            json.dumps({"error": "userId is required"}),
            status_code=400,
            mimetype="application/json"
        )

    user = {"id": user_id, "name": "Jane Doe", "email": "[email protected]"}
    return func.HttpResponse(
        json.dumps(user),
        status_code=200,
        mimetype="application/json"
    )

@app.route(route="users", methods=["POST"])
def create_user(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
    try:
        body = req.get_json()
    except ValueError:
        return func.HttpResponse(
            json.dumps({"error": "Invalid JSON"}),
            status_code=400,
            mimetype="application/json"
        )

    logging.info(f"Creating user: {body.get('name')}")
    return func.HttpResponse(
        json.dumps({"id": "new-id", **body}),
        status_code=201,
        mimetype="application/json"
    )
```

### HTTP Trigger -- Node.js

```javascript
// src/functions/httpTrigger.js (v4 programming model)
const { app } = require("@azure/functions");

app.http("getUser", {
  methods: ["GET"],
  authLevel: "function",
  route: "users/{userId}",
  handler: async (request, context) => {
    const userId = request.params.userId;
    context.log(`Fetching user: ${userId}`);

    if (!userId) {
      return { status: 400, jsonBody: { error: "userId is required" } };
    }

    const user = { id: userId, name: "Jane Doe", email: "[email protected]" };
    return { status: 200, jsonBody: user };
  },
});

app.http("createUser", {
  methods: ["POST"],
  authLevel: "function",
  route: "users",
  handler: async (request, context) => {
    const body = await request.json();
    context.log(`Creating user: ${body.name}`);

    return { status: 201, jsonBody: { id: "new-id", ...body } };
  },
});
```

### Blob Trigger -- Python

```python
@app.blob_trigger(arg_name="blob", path="uploads/{name}",
                   connection="AzureWebJobsStorage")
def process_upload(blob: func.InputStream):
    logging.info(f"Processing blob: {blob.name}, Size: {blob.length} bytes")
    content = blob.read()
    # Process file content here
```

### Timer Trigger -- Python

```python
@app.timer_trigger(schedule="0 */5 * * * *", arg_name="timer",
                    run_on_startup=False)
def cleanup_job(timer: func.TimerRequest):
    if timer.past_due:
        logging.warning("Timer is past due")
    logging.info("Running scheduled cleanup")
    # Cleanup logic here
```

### Service Bus Trigger -- Python

```python
@app.service_bus_queue_trigger(arg_name="msg", queue_name="orders",
                                connection="ServiceBusConnection")
@app.cosmos_db_output(arg_name="doc", database_name="mydb",
                       container_name="processed-orders",
                       connection="CosmosDBConnection")
def process_order(msg: func.ServiceBusMessage, doc: func.Out[func.Document]):
    order = json.loads(msg.get_body().decode("utf-8"))
    logging.info(f"Processing order: {order['id']}")

    processed = {
        "id": order["id"],
        "status": "processed",
        "items": order["items"],
        "total": sum(item["price"] for item in order["items"])
    }
    doc.set(func.Document.from_dict(processed))
```

### Cosmos DB Change Feed Trigger -- Python

```python
@app.cosmos_db_trigger_v3(arg_name="documents", database_name="mydb",
                           container_name="orders",
                           connection="CosmosDBConnection",
                           lease_container_name="leases",
                           create_lease_container_if_not_exists=True)
def on_order_change(documents: func.DocumentList):
    for doc in documents:
        logging.info(f"Document changed: {doc['id']}")
```

## Local Development

```bash
# Initialize a new Python function project
func init MyFunctionProject --python
cd MyFunctionProject

# Create a new function from template
func new --name HttpExample --template "HTTP trigger" --authlevel function

# Run locally
func start

# Run locally with specific port
func start --port 7072

# Test locally
curl http://localhost:7071/api/HttpExample?name=World
```

## Deployment

```bash
# Deploy using Core Tools
func azure functionapp publish myapp-func

# Deploy with build step for Python
func azure functionapp publish myapp-func --build remote

# Deploy using ZIP package
zip -r function.zip . -x ".git/*" ".venv/*" "__pycache__/*"
az functionapp deployment source config-zip \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --name myapp-func \
  --src function.zip

# Deploy via CI/CD with GitHub Actions
az functionapp deployment github-actions add \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --name myapp-func \
  --repo "myorg/myrepo" \
  --branch main \
  --runtime python \
  --login-with-github
```

## Deployment Slots

```bash
# Create a staging slot
az functionapp deployment slot create \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --name myapp-func \
  --slot staging

# Deploy to staging slot
func azure functionapp publish myapp-func --slot staging

# Test staging slot
curl https://myapp-func-staging.azurewebsites.net/api/health

# Swap staging to production
az functionapp deployment slot swap \
  --resource-group functions-rg \
  --name myapp-func \
  --slot staging \