Install Python Package for Azure Functions

Azure Functions is a serverless solution for running event-driven Python code. Installing Python packages for Azure Functions requires proper setup.

Prerequisites

Before installing packages, ensure you have:

• Python 3.7+ installed
• Azure Functions Core Tools
• An active Azure account

If you're new to Azure Functions, check the AWS Lambda Python package guide for similar concepts.

Setting Up the Project

First, create a new Azure Functions project:

# Create a new function app
func init my_function_app --python

Navigate to the project folder:

cd my_function_app

Installing Python Packages

Azure Functions uses a requirements.txt file for dependencies. Add your packages here.

For example, to install the requests package:

# requirements.txt
requests==2.28.1

Install dependencies using pip:

pip install -r requirements.txt

For complex dependency management, consider Pipenv or Poetry.

Deploying to Azure

After installing packages, deploy your function:

# Deploy to Azure
func azure functionapp publish my_function_app

Azure will automatically install packages from requirements.txt during deployment.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If packages fail to install:

• Check Python version compatibility
• Verify package names in requirements.txt
• Ensure proper file permissions

For similar issues in other environments, see the Docker Python package guide.

Example: Using Installed Packages

Here's how to use an installed package in your function:

import requests

def main(req):
    response = requests.get('https://example.com')
    return response.text

This simple HTTP function demonstrates package usage.

Conclusion

Installing Python packages for Azure Functions is straightforward with requirements.txt. Always test locally before deployment.

For other deployment methods, check our guides on Heroku and Google Colab.