Creating Azure resources with the AZD tool, the Azure Developer CLI

Last summer (2022), Microsoft made available a new way to provision Azure resources and deploy applications using a single workflow. The tool is called azd, the letter "d" being short for "developer".

If you need to spin up a working Azure-backed applications quickly, you can do it with just a few commands using the new tool.

First, install azd to your comoputer. On Windows, you can use winget utility like this:

winget install microsoft.azd

Once the tool is installed, create a new project from a template:

azd init

This prompts you to choose a sample template and sets up a project with infrastructure (Bicep) and application code.

Next, provision the resources and deploy the app:

azd up

This command creates the required Azure resources (such as a resource group and app service), builds the application, and deploys it.

After the deployment completes, azd outputs the endpoint URL. You can open it directly to verify the app is running.

Tip: Azd keeps environment configuration under the .azure folder. Take a look into it, as it becomes useful if you need to manage multiple environments or re-run deployments later.

Microsoft has created a good Azd overview document, and also a Azd command reference.