Message.Formatter Property

Definition

Namespace:

System.Messaging

Assembly:

System.Messaging.dll

Gets or sets the formatter used to serialize an object into or deserialize an object from the message body.

C#

[System.ComponentModel.Browsable(false)]
public System.Messaging.IMessageFormatter Formatter { get; set; }

Property Value

IMessageFormatter

The IMessageFormatter that produces a stream to be written to or read from the message body. The default is XmlMessageFormatter.

Attributes

BrowsableAttribute

Exceptions

ArgumentException

The Formatter property is null.

Examples

The following code example demonstrates formatting a message body using BinaryMessageFormatter.

C#

using System;
using System.Messaging;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;

namespace MyProject
{

    /// <summary>
    /// Provides a container class for the example.
    /// </summary>
    public class MyNewQueue
    {

        //**************************************************
        // Provides an entry point into the application.
        //		
        // This example sends and receives a message from
        // a queue.
        //**************************************************

        public static void Main()
        {
            // Create a new instance of the class.
            MyNewQueue myNewQueue = new MyNewQueue();

            // Create a queue on the local computer.
            CreateQueue(".\\myQueue");
            
            // Send a message to a queue.
            myNewQueue.SendMessage();

            // Receive a message from a queue.
            myNewQueue.ReceiveMessage();

            return;
        }

        //**************************************************
        // Creates a new queue.
        //**************************************************

        public static void CreateQueue(string queuePath)
        {
            try	
            {
                if(!MessageQueue.Exists(queuePath))
                {
                    MessageQueue.Create(queuePath);
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(queuePath + " already exists.");
                }
            }
            catch (MessageQueueException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }
        }

        //**************************************************
        // Sends an image to a queue, using the BinaryMessageFormatter.
        //**************************************************
        
        public void SendMessage()
        {
            try{

                // Create a new bitmap.
                // The file must be in the \bin\debug or \bin\retail folder, or
                // you must give a full path to its location.
                Image myImage = Bitmap.FromFile("SentImage.bmp");

                // Connect to a queue on the local computer.
                MessageQueue myQueue = new MessageQueue(".\\myQueue");
                
                Message myMessage = new Message(myImage, new BinaryMessageFormatter());

                // Send the image to the queue.
                myQueue.Send(myMessage);
            }
            catch(ArgumentException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }

            return;
        }

        //**************************************************
        // Receives a message containing an image.
        //**************************************************
        
        public  void ReceiveMessage()
        {
                        
            try
            {

                // Connect to the a queue on the local computer.
                MessageQueue myQueue = new MessageQueue(".\\myQueue");

                // Set the formatter to indicate body contains an Order.
                myQueue.Formatter = new BinaryMessageFormatter();

                // Receive and format the message.
                System.Messaging.Message myMessage = myQueue.Receive();
                Bitmap myImage = (Bitmap)myMessage.Body;
                
                // This will be saved in the \bin\debug or \bin\retail folder.
                myImage.Save("ReceivedImage.bmp",System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Bmp);
            }
            
            catch (MessageQueueException)
            {
                // Handle Message Queuing exceptions.
            }

            // Handle invalid serialization format.
            catch (InvalidOperationException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }

            catch (IOException e)
            {
                // Handle file access exceptions.
            }
            
            // Catch other exceptions as necessary.

            return;
        }
    }
}

The following code example demonstrates formatting a message body using XmlMessageFormatter.

C#

using System;
using System.Messaging;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;

namespace MyProject
{

    // The following example
    // sends to a queue and receives from a queue.
    public class Order
    {
        public int orderId;
        public DateTime orderTime;
    };	

    /// <summary>
    /// Provides a container class for the example.
    /// </summary>
    public class MyNewQueue
    {

        //**************************************************
        // Provides an entry point into the application.
        //		
        // This example sends and receives a message from
        // a queue.
        //**************************************************

        public static void Main()
        {
            // Create a new instance of the class.
            MyNewQueue myNewQueue = new MyNewQueue();

            // Create a queue on the local computer.
            CreateQueue(".\\myQueue");
            
            // Send a message to a queue.
            myNewQueue.SendMessage();

            // Receive a message from a queue.
            myNewQueue.ReceiveMessage();

            return;
        }

        //**************************************************
        // Creates a new queue.
        //**************************************************

        public static void CreateQueue(string queuePath)
        {
            try	
            {
                if(!MessageQueue.Exists(queuePath))
                {
                    MessageQueue.Create(queuePath);
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine(queuePath + " already exists.");
                }
            }
            catch (MessageQueueException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }
        }

        //**************************************************
        // Sends an Order to a queue.
        //**************************************************
        
        public void SendMessage()
        {
            try
            {

                // Create a new order and set values.
                Order sentOrder = new Order();
                sentOrder.orderId = 3;
                sentOrder.orderTime = DateTime.Now;

                // Connect to a queue on the local computer.
                MessageQueue myQueue = new MessageQueue(".\\myQueue");

                // Create the new order.
                Message myMessage = new Message(sentOrder);

                // Send the order to the queue.
                myQueue.Send(myMessage);
            }
            catch(ArgumentException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }

            return;
        }

        //**************************************************
        // Receives a message containing an order.
        //**************************************************
        
        public  void ReceiveMessage()
        {
            // Connect to the a queue on the local computer.
            MessageQueue myQueue = new MessageQueue(".\\myQueue");

            // Set the formatter to indicate body contains an Order.
            myQueue.Formatter = new XmlMessageFormatter(new Type[]
                {typeof(MyProject.Order)});
            
            try
            {
                // Receive and format the message.
                Message myMessage =	myQueue.Receive();
                Order myOrder = (Order)myMessage.Body;

                // Display message information.
                Console.WriteLine("Order ID: " +
                    myOrder.orderId.ToString());
                Console.WriteLine("Sent: " +
                    myOrder.orderTime.ToString());
            }
            
            catch (MessageQueueException)
            {
                // Handle Message Queuing exceptions.
            }

                // Handle invalid serialization format.
            catch (InvalidOperationException e)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }
            
            // Catch other exceptions as necessary.

            return;
        }
    }
}

Remarks

Use the Formatter property when reading and writing a message. When a message is sent to the queue, the formatter serializes the Body property into a stream that can be sent to the message queue. When reading from a queue, the formatter deserializes the message data into the Body property.

Unless you write the contents of the message directly to the BodyStream property, set the Formatter property before you send the message. When the Send method is called on the MessageQueue instance, the body is serialized using the formatter contained in the Formatter property. If you send the message without specifying a value for the Formatter property, the formatter defaults to XmlMessageFormatter.

The XmlMessageFormatter is loosely coupled, so it is not necessary to have the same object type on the sender and receiver when using this format. The ActiveXMessageFormatter and BinaryMessageFormatter serialize the data into binary representation. The ActiveXMessageFormatter is used when sending or receiving COM components.

Applies to

See also

• CanRead(Message)
• XmlMessageFormatter
• ActiveXMessageFormatter
• BinaryMessageFormatter
• Formatter