Azure Table Storage vs CosmosDB with Python

Question

I am trying to access Azure Table Storage via python.

Following an old walkthrough here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/table-storage-how-to-use-python#install-the-azure-storage-sdk-for-python

but the Python SDK it references for Azure Tables specifically (https://github.com/Azure/azure-storage-python) has been moved/deprecated in favor of Azure Cosmos DB SDK.

In the deprecation note, they say to use this SDK: https://github.com/Azure/azure-cosmosdb-python

In the documentation for that SDK, they refer you to https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/develop/python/

In the Table Storage and link on that page, it refers you back to the first link (!!)

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1) All I want to do is query traditional Azure Table Storage (NOT CosmosDB) with a Python SDK

2) Ideally, that Python SDK also includes the encryption/decryption capability for Azure Tables.

What am I missing / does that python SDK still exist anywhere?

Note: I see https://github.com/Azure/azure-cosmosdb-python/tree/master/azure-cosmosdb-table but this SDK seems to require a CosmosDB deployment -- it can't connect to traditional AzureTables. Is my understanding incorrect?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Answer 1

The Azure CosmosDB Table SDK IS Azure Storage Tables SDK. Re-branding is part of some re-org inside Microsoft, but this is the same code and same endpoint, same everything.

Storage SDK was one big client, it was split into Table/Queue/Blog/Files packages, in order to give ownership of Table to CosmosDB team.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/table-support

The new Azure Cosmos DB Python SDK is the only SDK that supports Azure Table storage in Python. This SDK connects with both Azure Table storage and Azure Cosmos DB Table API.

You can also compare the code, you'll see:

• https://github.com/Azure/azure-storage-python/tree/v0.36.0/azure/storage/table
• https://github.com/Azure/azure-cosmosdb-python/tree/master/azure-cosmosdb-table/azure/cosmosdb/table

(I work at MS in the Azure SDK for Python team)