Local Azure Python: Function No module named 'pyodbc'

Question

I am trying to use Azure Functions (HttpTrigger) to Read my emails and put them into my Azure Database. To achieve this I developed a python script(readEmail.py and raFunctions.py) which works local under Visual Studio Code in Ubuntu. The next step I tried is to convert this script to an Azure Function. When I try to run the Azure Function locally:

func host start

http://localhost:7071/api/ReadEmail?name=erik

it returns the following error:

Executed 'Functions.ReadEmail' (Failed, Id=4284c861-ce2f-4755-a7e3-94e269a42bc1)
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM] System.Private.CoreLib: Exception while executing function: Functions.ReadEmail. System.Private.CoreLib: Result: Failure
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM] Exception: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pyodbc'
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM] Stack:   File "/usr/lib/azure-functions-core-tools/workers/python/3.6/LINUX/X64/azure_functions_worker/dispatcher.py", line 242, in _handle__function_load_request
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]     func_request.metadata.entry_point)
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]   File "/usr/lib/azure-functions-core-tools/workers/python/3.6/LINUX/X64/azure_functions_worker/loader.py", line 66, in load_function
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]     mod = importlib.import_module(fullmodname)
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]   File "/usr/lib/python3.6/importlib/__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]     return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]   File "/home/webapp/git/RAFunctions/ReadEmail/__init__.py", line 4, in <module>
[1/11/20 8:14:43 AM]     import pyodbc

I hope you can help me out here! I put the python scripts in the code below.

FOLDER OF THE FUNCTION

• HttpTrigger (Azure Tutorial)
• ReadEmail (Azure Function)
  • function.json (default Azure)
  • init.py
  • raFunctions.py (helpers)
  • readEmail.py (helpers)
• host.json (default Azure)
• local.settings.json (default Azure)
• proxies.json (default Azure)
• requirements.txt

__init__.py

 import logging
import email
import imaplib
import pyodbc
from datetime import datetime
from .readEmail import readEmail
import azure.functions as func


def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
    logging.info('Python HTTP trigger function processed a request.')

    responseEmail = readEmail()

    name = req.params.get('name')
    if not name:
        try:
            req_body = req.get_json()
        except ValueError:
            pass
        else:
            name = req_body.get('name')

    if name:
        return func.HttpResponse(f"Hello {responseEmail}!")
    else:
        return func.HttpResponse(
             "Please pass a name on the query string or in the request body",
             status_code=400
        )

readEmail.py

import email
import imaplib
import pyodbc
from datetime import datetime
from .raFunctions import uitvullenDatum

def readEmail():
#Configurations
EMAIL = 'myemail@myemail.com'
PASSWORD = 'mypassword'
SERVER = 'imap.provider.com'

server = 'myserver.database.windows.net'
database = 'mydatabase'
username = 'mydbusername'
password = 'mypassword'
driver= '{ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server}'

connectionString = 'DRIVER='+driver+';SERVER='+server+';PORT=1433;DATABASE='+database+';UID='+username+';PWD='+ password +';Authentication=ActiveDirectoryPassword'

# Connection settings to Database and Email Server
mail = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL(SERVER)
mail.login(EMAIL, PASSWORD)
cnxn = pyodbc.connect('DRIVER='+driver+';SERVER='+server+';PORT=1433;DATABASE='+database+';UID='+username+';PWD='+ password +';Authentication=ActiveDirectoryPassword')
cursor = cnxn.cursor()

try:
    mail.select('inbox')
    status, data = mail.search(None, 'ALL')
    mail_ids = []
    for block in data:

        mail_ids += block.split()
    for i in mail_ids:

        status, data = mail.fetch(i, '(RFC822)')
        for response_part in data:
            if isinstance(response_part, tuple):
                message = email.message_from_bytes(response_part[1])
                mail_from = message['From']
                mail_subject = message['Subject']          
                mail_date = message['Date']

                if message.is_multipart():
                    mail_content = ''

                    for part in message.get_payload():

                        if part.get_content_type() == 'text/plain':
                            mail_content += part.get_payload()

                        else:
                            mail_content = part.get_payload()   

                else:
                    mail_content = message.get_payload()

                maildate = email.utils.parsedate(mail_date)
                maildate = uitvullenDatum(str(maildate[0]),str(maildate[1]),str(maildate[2]))

                values = (maildate, mail_from, mail_subject, mail_content)
                sql = "EXEC wp_ra.invoerenmail ?, ?, ?, ?"
                cursor.execute(sql, (values))
                cursor.commit()
                return "Email succesvol ingelezen!"
catch:
    return "Fout bij het inlezen van de mail!"

** requirements.txt **

azure-functions
azure-functions-worker
re
datetime
pyodbc
imaplib
email
logging

After some help i also tried to create an virtual enviroment in python and install all the necessarily modules and run the func host again

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip3 install azure, re, pyodbc, imaplib, email, logging
pip3 freeze > requirements.txt
func host start

I now get the error:

[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM] Executed 'Functions.ReadEmail' (Failed, Id=583e1234-9ad4-477b-b23f-56f53493579d)
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM] System.Private.CoreLib: Exception while executing function: Functions.ReadEmail. System.Private.CoreLib: Result: Failure
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM] Exception: SyntaxError: invalid syntax (readEmail.py, line 67)
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM] Stack:   File "/usr/lib/azure-functions-core-tools/workers/python/3.6/LINUX/X64/azure_functions_worker/dispatcher.py", line 242, in _handle__function_load_request
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]     func_request.metadata.entry_point)
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "/usr/lib/azure-functions-core-tools/workers/python/3.6/LINUX/X64/azure_functions_worker/loader.py", line 66, in load_function
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]     mod = importlib.import_module(fullmodname)
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "/usr/lib/python3.6/importlib/__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]     return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 994, in _gcd_import
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 971, in _find_and_load
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 941, in _find_and_load_unlocked
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 994, in _gcd_import
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 971, in _find_and_load
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 955, in _find_and_load_unlocked
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 665, in _load_unlocked
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 678, in exec_module
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]   File "/home/webapp/git/RAFunctions/ReadEmail/__init__.py", line 6, in <module>
[1/12/20 7:02:34 AM]     from .readEmail import readEmail

Answer 1

Can you try creating a Python virtual environment and running the function from within the same environment.

• For creating the environment and activating:

  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-create-first-function-python#create-and-activate-a-virtual-environment.

• please run **pip freeze > requirements.txt** from your app

• Install the required libraries inside the virtual environment after activating it:

  pip install -r requirements.txt

• Run the function using **func host start** and see if it works.