Microsoft recently released the public preview of template support for its low code offering Logic Apps (Standard). With templates, developers can access pre-built workflow solutions to address common integration scenarios.
Templates offer developers a growing library of pre-built templates to kickstart their Logic Apps projects. Divya Swarnkar, a Microsoft Product Manager for Logic Apps, writes:
These templates are designed to cover a wide range of scenarios, from common workflows to complex integrations, making it easier than ever to build, deploy, and manage your applications.
Developers can leverage templates by opening the Logic Apps Designer and browsing the available options. Each template contains detailed information, including a read-only view of the workflow, prerequisites, and connectors used. This lets developers quickly assess whether a template fits your needs before customizing it further to suit your business requirements.
(Source: Microsoft Tech Community blog post)
Before using templates, developers must know that many templates have prerequisites to work as expected. The company states it currently does not have a way to enforce these prerequisites automatically; it's essential to review and address them before using the template.
Furthermore, developers also have the option to create their own templates or share them with others. These templates can include artifacts like schemas, maps, and custom assemblies. They can add their template to the template’s gallery in the Azure portal by following the instructions in the guide the company provides in their documentation. Once developers are done, they can head to the workflow template repository in GitHub for Azure Logic Apps. They can create a pull request for their template package there, and the Azure Logic Apps team will review it.
InfoQ asked Swarnkar about the number of templates and possible GA dates:
We are targeting GA by the end of this year. Regarding the number of templates, we are not going after a number; instead, we will focus on the scenarios and use cases, so quality over quantity is our motto. We want to encourage our integration community to participate and build these templates to help us reach even higher numbers!
In addition, InfoQ also asked about the earlier release of the workflow assistant in Logic App Standard and the current preview of templates :
Regarding the workflow assistant and templates, the long-term vision is that templates would serve as a starting point for dynamic workflow generation via the workflow assistant. One of the problems with any AI that generates workflows from scratch is the relevancy and accuracy of results; by leveraging templates, we would build upon proven patterns.