Source: MicrosoftDocs/azure-docs

title: Create a Python function from the command line - Azure Functions description: Learn how to create a Python function from the command line, then publish the local project to serverless hosting in Azure Functions. ms.date: 12/14/2023 ms.topic: quickstart ms.devlang: python ms.custom: devx-track-python, devx-track-azurecli, devx-track-azurepowershell, mode-api, devdivchpfy22 zone_pivot_groups: python-mode-functions

Quickstart: Create a Python function in Azure from the command line

In this article, you use command-line tools 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.

This article covers both Python programming models supported by Azure Functions. Use the selector at the top to choose your programming model.

Note

The Python v2 programming model for Azure Functions provides a decorator-based approach for creating functions. To learn more about the Python v2 programming model, see the Developer Reference Guide.

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

There's also a Visual Studio Code-based version of this article.

Configure your local environment

Before you begin, you must have the following requirements in place:

An Azure account with an active subscription. Create an account for free.
One of the following tools for creating Azure resources:
- Azure CLI version 2.4 or later.
- The Azure Az PowerShell module version 5.9.0 or later.
Python versions that are supported by Azure Functions. ::: zone pivot="python-mode-decorators"
The Azurite storage emulator. While you can also use an actual Azure Storage account, the article assumes you're using this emulator. ::: zone-end

[!INCLUDE functions-install-core-tools]

Create and activate a virtual environment

In a suitable folder, run the following commands to create and activate a virtual environment named .venv. Make sure that you're using a version of Python that is supported by Azure Functions.

bash

python -m venv .venv

source .venv/bin/activate

If Python didn't install the venv package on your Linux distribution, run the following command:

sudo apt-get install python3-venv

PowerShell

py -m venv .venv

.venv\scripts\activate

Cmd

py -m venv .venv

.venv\scripts\activate

You run all subsequent commands in this activated virtual environment.

Create a local function

In Azure Functions, a function project is a container for one or more individual functions that each responds to a specific trigger. All functions in a project share the same local and hosting configurations. ::: zone pivot="python-mode-configuration"
In this section, you create a function project that contains a single function.

Run the func init command as follows to create a Python functions project in the virtual environment.
```
func init --python --model V1
```
The environment now contains various files for the project, including configuration files named local.settings.json and host.json. Because local.settings.json can contain secrets downloaded from Azure, the file is excluded from source control by default in the .gitignore file.
Add a function to your project by using the following command, where the --name argument is the unique name of your function (HttpExample) and the --template argument specifies the function's trigger (HTTP).
```
func new --name HttpExample --template "HTTP trigger" --authlevel "anonymous"
```
func new creates a subfolder matching the function name that contains a code file appropriate to the project's chosen language and a configuration file named function.json.

Run this command to make sure that the Azure Functions library is installed in the environment.

bash

.venv/bin/python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

PowerShell

.venv\Scripts\python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Cmd

.venv\Scripts\python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

::: zone-end
::: zone pivot="python-mode-decorators"
In this section, you create a function project and add an HTTP triggered function.

Run the func init command as follows to create a Python v2 functions project in the virtual environment.
```
func init --python
```
The environment now contains various files for the project, including configuration files named local.settings.json and host.json. Because local.settings.json can contain secrets downloaded from Azure, the file is excluded from source control by default in the .gitignore file.
Add a function to your project by using the following command, where the --name argument is the unique name of your function (HttpExample) and the --template argument specifies the function's trigger (HTTP).
```
func new --name HttpExample --template "HTTP trigger" --authlevel "anonymous"
```
If prompted, choose the ANONYMOUS option. func new adds an HTTP trigger endpoint named HttpExample to the function_app.py file, which is accessible without authentication.
Open the local.settings.json project file and verify that the AzureWebJobsFeatureFlags setting has a value of EnableWorkerIndexing. This is required for Functions to interpret your project correctly as the Python v2 model. You'll add this same setting to your application settings after you publish your project to Azure.
In the local.settings.json file, update the AzureWebJobsStorage setting as in the following example:
```
"AzureWebJobsStorage": "UseDevelopmentStorage=true",
```
This tells the local Functions host to use the storage emulator for the storage connection currently required by the Python v2 model. When you publish your project to Azure, you'll need to instead use the default storage account. If you're instead using an Azure Storage account, set your storage account connection string here.

Run this command to make sure that the Azure Functions library is installed in the environment.

bash

.venv/bin/python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

PowerShell

.venv\Scripts\python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Cmd

.venv\Scripts\python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Start the storage emulator

By default, local development uses the Azurite storage emulator. This emulator is used when the AzureWebJobsStorage setting in the local.settings.json project file is set to UseDevelopmentStorage=true. When using the emulator, you must start the local Azurite storage emulator before running the function.

You can skip this step if the AzureWebJobsStorage setting in local.settings.json is set to the connection string for an Azure Storage account instead of UseDevelopmentStorage=true.

Use the following command to start the Azurite storage emulator in a separate process:

start azurite

For more information, see Run Azurite ::: zone-end

[!INCLUDE functions-run-function-test-local-cli]

Create supporting Azure resources for your function

Before you can deploy your function code to Azure, you need to create three resources:

A resource group, which is a logical container for related resources.
A storage account, which maintains the state and other information about your projects.
A function app, which provides the environment for executing your function code. A function app maps to your local function project and lets you group functions as a logical unit for easier management, deployment, and sharing of resources.

Use the following commands to create these items. Both Azure CLI and PowerShell are supported.

If you haven't done so already, sign in to Azure.

Azure CLI
```
az login
```
The az login command signs you into your Azure account.

Azure PowerShell
```
Connect-AzAccount
```
The Connect-AzAccount cmdlet signs you into your Azure account.
Create a resource group named AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg in your chosen region.

Azure CLI
```
az group create --name AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg --location <REGION>
```
The az group create command creates a resource group. In the above command, replace <REGION> with a region near you, using an available region code returned from the az account list-locations command.

Azure PowerShell
```
New-AzResourceGroup -Name AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg -Location '<REGION>'
```
The New-AzResourceGroup command creates a resource group. You generally create your resource group and resources in a region near you, using an available region returned from the Get-AzLocation cmdlet.

::: zone pivot="python-mode-decorators" ::: zone-end

[!NOTE] You can't host Linux and Windows apps in the same resource group. If you have an existing resource group named AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg with a Windows function app or web app, you must use a different resource group.
Create a general-purpose storage account in your resource group and region.

Azure CLI
```
az storage account create --name <STORAGE_NAME> --location <REGION> --resource-group AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg --sku Standard_LRS
```
The az storage account create command creates the storage account.

Azure PowerShell
```
New-AzStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg -Name <STORAGE_NAME> -SkuName Standard_LRS -Location <REGION>
```
The New-AzStorageAccount cmdlet creates the storage account.

In the previous example, replace <STORAGE_NAME> with a name that's appropriate to you and unique in Azure Storage. Names must contain 3 to 24 characters numbers and lowercase letters only. Standard_LRS specifies a general-purpose account supported by Functions.

The storage account incurs only a few cents (USD) for this quickstart.
Create the function app in Azure.

Azure CLI
```
az functionapp create --resource-group AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg --consumption-plan-location westeurope --runtime python --runtime-version 3.9 --functions-version 4 --name <APP_NAME> --os-type linux --storage-account <STORAGE_NAME>
```
The az functionapp create command creates the function app in Azure. If you're using Python 3.9, 3.8, or 3.7, change --runtime-version to 3.9, 3.8, or 3.7, respectively. You must supply --os-type linux because Python functions can't run on Windows, which is the default.

Azure PowerShell
```
New-AzFunctionApp -Name <APP_NAME> -ResourceGroupName AzureFunctionsQuickstart-rg -StorageAccountName <STORAGE_NAME> -FunctionsVersion 4 -RuntimeVersion 3.9 -Runtime python -Location '<REGION>'
```
The New-AzFunctionApp cmdlet creates the function app in Azure. If you're using Python 3.9, 3.8, or 3.7, change -RuntimeVersion to 3.9, 3.8, or 3.7, respectively.

In the previous example, replace <APP_NAME> with a globally unique name appropriate to you. The <APP_NAME> is also the default DNS domain for the function app.

This command creates a function app running in your specified language runtime under the Azure Functions Consumption Plan, which is free for the amount of usage you incur here. The command also creates an associated Azure Application Insights instance in the same resource group, with which you can monitor your function app and view logs. For more information, see Monitor Azure Functions. The instance incurs no costs until you activate it.

[!INCLUDE functions-publish-project-cli]

::: zone pivot="python-mode-decorators"

Update app settings

To use the Python v2 model in your function app, you need to add a new application setting in Azure named AzureWebJobsFeatureFlags with a value of EnableWorkerIndexing. This setting is already in your local.settings.json file.

Run the following command to add this setting to your new function app in Azure.

Azure CLI

az functionapp config appsettings set --name <FUNCTION_APP_NAME> --resource-group <RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> --settings AzureWebJobsFeatureFlags=EnableWorkerIndexing

Azure PowerShell

Update-AzFunctionAppSetting -Name <FUNCTION_APP_NAME> -ResourceGroupName <RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> -AppSetting @{"AzureWebJobsFeatureFlags" = "EnableWorkerIndexing"}

In the previous example, replace <FUNCTION_APP_NAME> and <RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> with the name of your function app and resource group, respectively. This setting is already in your local.settings.json file. ::: zone-end

Verify in Azure

Run the following command to view near real-time streaming logs in Application Insights in the Azure portal.

func azure functionapp logstream <APP_NAME> --browser

In a separate terminal window or in the browser, call the remote function again. A verbose log of the function execution in Azure is shown in the terminal.

[!INCLUDE functions-cleanup-resources-cli]

Next steps

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

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Quickstart: Create a Python function in Azure from the command line

Configure your local environment

Create and activate a virtual environment

bash

PowerShell

Cmd

Create a local function

bash

PowerShell

Cmd

bash

PowerShell

Cmd

Start the storage emulator

Create supporting Azure resources for your function

Azure CLI

Azure PowerShell

Azure CLI

Azure PowerShell

Azure CLI

Azure PowerShell

Azure CLI

Azure PowerShell

Update app settings

Azure CLI

Azure PowerShell

Verify in Azure

Next steps

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Quickstart: Create a Python function in Azure from the command line

Configure your local environment

Create and activate a virtual environment

Create a local function

Start the storage emulator

Create supporting Azure resources for your function

Update app settings

Verify in Azure

Next steps