Windows Azure SDK for Python

This project provides a set of Python packages that make it easy to access the Windows Azure storage and queue services. For documentation on how to host Python applications on Windows Azure, please see the Windows Azure Python Developer Center.

Features

• Tables
  • create and delete tables
  • create, query, insert, update, merge, and delete entities
• Blobs
  • create, list, and delete containers, work with container metadata and permissions, list blobs in container
  • create block and page blobs (from a stream, a file, or a string), work with blob blocks and pages, delete blobs
  • work with blob properties, metadata, leases, snapshot a blob
• Storage Queues
  • create, list, and delete queues, and work with queue metadata
  • create, get, peek, update, delete messages
• Service Bus
  • Queues: create, list and delete queues; create, list, and delete subscriptions; send, receive, unlock and delete messages
  • Topics: create, list, and delete topics; create, list, and delete rules

Getting Started

Download Source Code

To get the source code of the SDK via git just type:

git clone https://github.com/WindowsAzure/azure-sdk-for-python.git
cd ./azure-sdk-for-python

Download Package

Alternatively, to get the source code via the Python Package Index (PyPI), type

%SystemDrive%\Python27\Scripts\pip.exe install azure

You can use these packages against the cloud Windows Azure Services, or against the local Storage Emulator (with the exception of Service Bus features).

1. To use the cloud services, you need to first create an account with Windows Azure. To use the storage services, you need to set the AZURE_STORAGE_ACCOUNT and the AZURE_STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY environment variables to the storage account name and primary access key you obtain from the Azure Portal. To use Service Bus, you need to set the AZURE_SERVICEBUS_NAMESPACE and the AZURE_SERVICEBUS_ACCESS_KEY environment variables to the service bus namespace and the default key you obtain from the Azure Portal.
2. To use the Storage Emulator, make sure the latest version of the Windows Azure SDK is installed on the machine, and set the EMULATED environment variable to any value ("true", "1", etc.)

Usage

Table Storage

To ensure a table exists, call create_table:

from azure.storage import TableService
ts = TableService(account_name, account_key)
table = ts.create_table('tasktable')

A new entity can be added by calling insert_entity:

ts = TableService(account_name, account_key)
table = ts.create_table('tasktable')
table.insert_entity(
     'tasktable',
     {
        'PartitionKey' : 'tasksSeattle',
        'RowKey': '1',
        'Description': 'Take out the trash',
        'DueDate': datetime(2011, 12, 14, 12) 
    }
)

The method get_entity can then be used to fetch the entity that was just inserted:

ts = TableService(account_name, account_key)
entity = ts.get_entity('tasktable', 'tasksSeattle', '1')

Blob Storage

The create_container method can be used to create a container in which to store a blob:

from azure.storage import BlobService
blob_service = BlobService()
container = blob_service.create_container('taskcontainer')

To upload a file (assuming it is called task1-upload.txt, it contains the exact text "hello world" (no quotation marks), and it is placed in the same folder as the script below), the method put_blob can be used:

from azure.storage import BlobService
blob_service = BlobService(account_name, account_key)
blob_service.put_blob('taskcontainer', 'task1', 
blobService = azure.createBlobService()
blobService.put_blob('taskcontainer', 'task1', file('task1-upload.txt').read())

To download the blob and write it to the file system, the get_blob method can be used:

from azure.storage import BlobService
blob_service = BlobService(account_name, account_key)
blob = blob_service.get_blob('taskcontainer', 'task1')

Storage Queues

The create_queue method can be used to ensure a queue exists:

from azure.storage import QueueService
queue_service = QueueService(account_name, account_key)
queue = queue_service.create_queue('taskqueue')

The put_message method can then be called to insert the message into the queue:

from azure.storage import QueueService
queue_service = QueueService(account_name, account_key)
queue_service.put_message('taskqueue', 'Hello world!')

It is then possible to call the get___messages method, process the message and then call delete_message on the messages ID. This two-step process ensures messages don't get lost when they are removed from the queue.

from azure.storage import QueueService
queue_service = QueueService(account_name, account_key)
messages = queue_service.get_messages('taskqueue')
queue_service.delete_message('taskqueue', messages[0].message_id)

ServiceBus Queues

ServiceBus Queues are an alternative to Storage Queues that might be useful in scenarios where more advanced messaging features are needed (larger message sizes, message ordering, single-operaiton destructive reads, scheduled delivery) using push-style delivery (using long polling).

The create_queue method can be used to ensure a queue exists:

from azure.servicebus import ServiceBusService
sbs = ServiceBusService(service_namespace, account_key)
queue = sbs.create_queue('taskqueue');

The send__queue__message method can then be called to insert the message into the queue:

from azure.servicebus import ServiceBusService
sbs = ServiceBusService(service_namespace, account_key)
sbs.send_queue_message('taskqueue', 'Hello World!')

It is then possible to call the read__delete___queue__message method to dequeue the message.

from azure.servicebus import ServiceBusService
sbs = ServiceBusService(service_namespace, account_key)
msg = sbs.read_delete_queue_message('taskqueue')

ServiceBus Topics

ServiceBus topics are an abstraction on top of ServiceBus Queues that make pub/sub scenarios easy to implement.

The create_topic method can be used to create a server-side topic:

from azure.servicebus import ServiceBusService
sbs = ServiceBusService(service_namespace, account_key)
topic = sbs.create_topic('taskdiscussion')

The send__topic__message method can be used to send a message to a topic:

from azure.servicebus import ServiceBusService
sbs = ServiceBusService(service_namespace, account_key)
sbs.send_topic_message('taskdiscussion', 'Hello world!')

A client can then create a subscription and start consuming messages by calling the create__subscription method followed by the receive__subscription__message method. Please note that any messages sent before the subscription is created will not be received.

from azure.servicebus import ServiceBusService
sbs = ServiceBusService(service_namespace, account_key)
sbs.create_subscription('taskdiscussion', 'client1')
msg = sbs.receive_subscription_message('taskdiscussion', 'client1')

** For more examples please see the Windows Azure Python Developer Center **

Need Help?

Be sure to check out the Windows Azure Developer Forums on Stack Overflow if you have trouble with the provided code.

Contribute Code or Provide Feedback

If you would like to become an active contributor to this project please follow the instructions provided in Windows Azure Projects Contribution Guidelines.

If you encounter any bugs with the library please file an issue in the Issues section of the project.

Learn More

Windows Azure Python Developer Center