create-first-function-vs-code-python.md

title	description	ms.topic	ms.date	ms.custom
Create a Python function using Visual Studio Code - Azure Functions	Learn how to create a Python function, then publish the local project to serverless hosting in Azure Functions using the Azure Functions extension in Visual Studio Code.	quickstart	11/04/2020	devx-track-python

Quickstart: Create a function in Azure with Python using Visual Studio Code

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In this article, you use Visual Studio Code to create a Python function that responds to HTTP requests. After testing the code locally, you deploy it to the serverless environment of Azure Functions.

Completing this quickstart incurs a small cost of a few USD cents or less in your Azure account.

There's also a CLI-based version of this article.

Configure your environment

Before you get started, make sure you have the following requirements in place:

• An Azure account with an active subscription. Create an account for free.

• Node.js, required by Windows for npm. Only Active LTS and Maintenance LTS versions. Use the node --version command to check your version. Not required for local development on macOS and Linux.

• Python 3.8, Python 3.7, Python 3.6 are supported by Azure Functions (x64).

• Visual Studio Code on one of the supported platforms.

• The Python extension for Visual Studio Code.

• The Azure Functions extension for Visual Studio Code.

Create your local project

In this section, you use Visual Studio Code to create a local Azure Functions project in Python. Later in this article, you'll publish your function code to Azure.

1. Choose the Azure icon in the Activity bar, then in the Azure: Functions area, select the Create new project... icon.

   

2. Choose a directory location for your project workspace and choose Select.

   [!NOTE] These steps were designed to be completed outside of a workspace. In this case, do not select a project folder that is part of a workspace.

3. Provide the following information at the prompts:

   • Select a language for your function project: Choose Python.

   • Select a Python alias to create a virtual environment: Choose the location of your Python interpreter. If the location isn't shown, type in the full path to your Python binary.

   • Select a template for your project's first function: Choose HTTP trigger.

   • Provide a function name: Type HttpExample.

   • Authorization level: Choose Anonymous, which enables anyone to call your function endpoint. To learn about authorization level, see Authorization keys.

   • Select how you would like to open your project: Choose Add to workspace.

4. Using this information, Visual Studio Code generates an Azure Functions project with an HTTP trigger. You can view the local project files in the Explorer. To learn more about files that are created, see Generated project files.

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After you've verified that the function runs correctly on your local computer, it's time to use Visual Studio Code to publish the project directly to Azure.

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Publish the project to Azure

In this section, you create a function app and related resources in your Azure subscription and then deploy your code.

Important

Publishing to an existing function app overwrites the content of that app in Azure.

1. Choose the Azure icon in the Activity bar, then in the Azure: Functions area, choose the Deploy to function app... button.

   

2. Provide the following information at the prompts:

   • Select folder: Choose a folder from your workspace or browse to one that contains your function app. You won't see this if you already have a valid function app opened.

   • Select subscription: Choose the subscription to use. You won't see this if you only have one subscription.

   • Select Function App in Azure: Choose + Create new Function App. (Don't choose the Advanced option, which isn't covered in this article.)

   • Enter a globally unique name for the function app: Type a name that is valid in a URL path. The name you type is validated to make sure that it's unique in Azure Functions.

   • Select a runtime: Choose the version of Python you've been running on locally. You can use the python --version command to check your version.

   • Select a location for new resources: For better performance, choose a region near you.

3. When completed, the following Azure resources are created in your subscription, using names based on your function app name:

   • A resource group, which is a logical container for related resources.
   • A standard Azure Storage account, which maintains state and other information about your projects.
   • A consumption plan, which defines the underlying host for your serverless function app.
   • A function app, which provides the environment for executing your function code. A function app lets you group functions as a logical unit for easier management, deployment, and sharing of resources within the same hosting plan.
   • An Application Insights instance connected to the function app, which tracks usage of your serverless function.

   A notification is displayed after your function app is created and the deployment package is applied.

4. Select View Output in this notification to view the creation and deployment results, including the Azure resources that you created. If you miss the notification, select the bell icon in the lower right corner to see it again.

   

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Next steps

You have used Visual Studio Code to create a function app with a simple HTTP-triggered function. In the next article, you expand that function by adding an output binding. This binding writes the string from the HTTP request to a message in an Azure Queue Storage queue.

[!div class="nextstepaction"] Connect to an Azure Storage queue

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