MSMQ: What is the best way to read a queue in a non-blocking fashion?

Question

If a queue is empty and you don't want to block for too long, you risk getting a System.Messaging.MessageQueueException.

How would you tell the difference between a timeout on waiting for a message and a real error?

Answer 1

Try this:

MessageQueueException.MessageQueueErrorCode == MessageQueueErrorCode.IOTimeout

See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t5te2tk0.aspx for a sample similar to what you're trying to do.