Microsoft Introduces Local CLI for Azure Logic Apps Standard in Public Preview

Microsoft has released a public preview of a local command-line interface for Azure Logic Apps Standard, available as the logicapp extension for the Azure CLI. This new tool allows for project creation, workflow authoring, local runtime management, and connector management, enabling users to create, run, and test workflows without the need for Visual Studio Code.

The extension installs automatically when the first az logicapp developer command is executed on Azure CLI version 2.67.0 or later. It introduces 19 command groups with 64 commands, in addition to the existing cloud-management commands. Users can create or adopt local projects, manage individual workflow.json files with offline validation, and control a local host on port 7071, which launches the Azurite storage emulator when configured for development storage.

Additional command groups facilitate the management of running and deployed apps. Users can inspect built-in and managed connectors, manage execution history, and produce a deterministic deployment package. Context shortcuts are also available to streamline command execution.

The runtime doctor command focuses on reading project files and tool versions without making changes or contacting cloud storage. Testing is divided into three steps: creating a native SDK test project, writing a preflight report, and executing tests, with limitations noted for the last step. According to Riley Evans, the author of the pull request that added the extension, the native SDK test code is trusted rather than sandboxed, and the agent bootstrap command is not yet available.

This development marks a significant enhancement for developers working with Azure Logic Apps Standard, streamlining the workflow creation process directly from the command line.

Source: InfoQ