Getting Started with Microsoft Azure for App Development

hello. My name is Hifza Eman and I am an ambassador for Pakistani students pursuing software engineering. We’re excited to share how Microsoft Azure helps developers easily build, host, and scale applications.

Microsoft Azure is a powerful cloud platform that developers can build, host, and scale.
Application. Azure offers a variety of services for developing web apps, mobile backends, or RESTful APIs. Azure helps simplify the process and lets developers focus on their code. In this article, we’ll look at two key Azure services – Azure App Service and Azure Functions – and see how they can enhance your app development experience.
Azure App Service
Azure App Service It’s a platform that allows developers to build and host applications in the programming language of their choice, without developers having to manage any infrastructure. It supports both Windows and Linux environments and offers a variety of features such as autoscaling and high availability, allowing your applications to grow with your user base.

Key features of Azure App Service
Multi-language support: Azure App Service supports a variety of languages, including Node.js, Java (including Tomcat, JBoss, or an embedded web server), PHP, Python, and .NET Core. Developers can easily deploy their code using the az webapp list-runtimes –os linux command to check for the latest supported versions.
DevOps Integrations: Azure App Service allows developers to automate deployments from GitHub, Azure DevOps, or any Git repository. This coordinates development workflows and improves collaboration between team members.
Improved security and load balancing: App Service also provides built-in security features, load balancing, and autoscaling to ensure your applications are secure and perform well under varying loads.
Custom domains and SSL: Developers can configure custom domains and secure their applications with TLS/SSL certificates to enhance user experience and security.

Explore the following modules to learn more and get hands-on with Azure App Service. Host a web application using Azure App Service

Azure Functions
Azure Functions A serverless computing service that allows developers to run event-driven code without having to manage infrastructure. This flexibility allows developers to focus on writing the code that’s most important to their applications while Azure handles the underlying resources.
Benefits of Azure Functions
Reduce code and maintenance: Functions allow developers to write less code and maintain less infrastructure, saving money and increasing productivity.
Flexible hosting options: Azure Functions offers a variety of hosting plans, including consumption plans where developers pay only for execution time, and premium plans that keep instances warm for faster response times. This flexibility allows developers to choose the best option based on their application workload.
Multi-language support: Azure Functions supports multiple programming languages, including C#, Java, JavaScript, PowerShell, and Python. This versatility allows developers to use the languages ​​and tools they prefer.
Integrations with other Azure services: Functions can be easily integrated with other Azure services, making them ideal for building web APIs, responding to database changes, processing IoT streams, and managing message queues.

To learn more and practice Azure Functions, check out these modules: make serverless logic with azure function.

Getting started with Microsoft Azure for app development opens up a world of possibilities for developers. Services like Azure App Service and Azure Functions allow developers to build powerful applications without the complexity of infrastructure management. The power of Azure allows you to focus on what’s really important in your applications and deliver high-quality applications that meet your users’ needs.

Explore Azure today and take your app development to the next level!