microsoft / microsoft/durabletask-python

[azure-functions-durable] Orchestrator context parameter name is fixed to `context`, blocking access to `func.Context`

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Dominant language
Python
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Forks
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

Summary

In the azure-functions-durable (V2) package, the parameter that receives the
orchestration context is effectively hardcoded to the name context. As a
consequence:

  • A user-supplied context_name other than "context" on
    @app.orchestration_trigger(...) does not work — the host cannot bind the
    trigger to the generated handle.
  • There is no way for an orchestrator to also receive an
    azure.functions.Context (func.Context) parameter, because the Functions
    host injects func.Context only into a parameter named exactly context
    that is not a trigger binding — and that name is always consumed by the
    orchestrationTrigger binding.

This matches V1 behavior (see "Not a regression" below), so it is not a
regression introduced by V2. Filing this to track it as a potential V2
improvement to be considered after the Functions PR merges and the beta
release ships.

Mechanism / relevant code paths

The Azure Functions host binds a trigger to a function parameter by name,
and it inspects the generated handle (not the user's function).

  1. The trigger binding is registered with name=context_name:

    • azure/durable_functions/decorators/durable_app.py
      orchestration_trigger(context_name, ...) calls
      OrchestrationTrigger(name=context_name, ...).
  2. The generated handle that the host actually indexes hardcodes a parameter
    literally named context:

    • azure/durable_functions/orchestrator.pyOrchestrator.create:
      def handle(context: func.OrchestrationContext) -> str:
          return Orchestrator(fn).handle(context)
      
    • The parameter must be annotated azure.functions.OrchestrationContext
      for the host's orchestrationTrigger binding converter to accept it.
  3. Because the host matches the binding name (context_name) to a parameter
    of handle by name, they only line up when context_name == "context".
    Any other context_name leaves the trigger unbound.

  4. func.Context injection: the Python worker injects func.Context only into
    a parameter named exactly context that is not itself a trigger binding.
    Since the orchestrationTrigger always occupies the context name, there is
    no free context parameter for func.Context to be injected into.

  5. Separately, durabletask's executor invokes the user's orchestrator as
    fn(ctx, input) — there is no slot in that calling convention for a
    func.Context object to be passed through to user code.

Not a regression (V1 parity)

V1 has the same structural constraint. In
azure-functions-durable-python's azure/durable_functions/orchestrator.py,
Orchestrator.create also registers a single-parameter
def handle(context: func.OrchestrationContext), so a V1 orchestrator could
never receive a working func.Context parameter either. V2 preserves this
behavior.

Related parity gap: function_context contents

The V1-compat DurableOrchestrationContext adapter currently exposes an empty
function_context. V1's function_context is not necessarily empty: in
azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationContext.py, __init__
consumes a fixed set of named fields (history, instanceId, isReplaying,
parentInstanceId, input, upperSchemaVersion, maximumShortTimerDuration,
longRunningTimerIntervalDuration, upperSchemaVersionNew) and funnels every
remaining field of the orchestration-trigger JSON into
FunctionContext(**kwargs). As of today the WebJobs extension injects at least
one such field — defaultHttpAsyncRequestSleepTimeMillseconds (observed value
30000, the durable-HTTP async polling interval) — so a live V1
function_context carries that value.

V2 receives the orchestration input via a protobuf trigger that does not carry
these arbitrary extra fields, so the compat adapter has no source to populate
function_context from. This is a minor parity gap to consider alongside the
context-name / func.Context work above.

Notes

  • Out of scope for the current parity-focused Functions PR; capturing here so
    it can be picked up as a V2 improvement after the beta release.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with azure/durable_functions/decorators/durable_app.py and azure/durable_functions/orchestrator.py, especially orchestration_trigger and Orchestrator.create. Trace how the generated handle is indexed and how durabletask invokes the user function, then review the V1 compatibility adapter and its DurableOrchestrationContext function_context handling. Done would require an agreed V2 approach for custom context names, func.Context access, and the related function_context parity gap.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
azure, python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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