c# - Deleting a message from Azure Queue Service by value -

i'm using azure storage queue service track queue of long running jobs en-queued multiple disparate clients, have requirement remove messages queue if exist matching given criteria.

i realise anti-pattern queue, service provide functionality in addition simple queueing (such delete message , peek messages) thought i'd try implement it.

the solution i've come works, not elegant , quite inefficient - , i'm wondering if can done better - or if should bin whole approach , use mechanism supports requirement design (which require fair amount of work across different systems). here simplified code:

        var queue = methodthatgetstheappropriatequeuereference();         await queue.fetchattributesasync(); //populates current queue length         if (queue.approximatemessagecount.hasvalue)         {             // messages , find messages removed.             //   makes messages unavailable other clients              //   visibilitytimeout period.             //   i've set minimum of 1 second - not ideal though             var messages = await queue.getmessagesasync(queue.approximatemessagecount.value);             var messagestodelete = messages.where(x => x.asstring.contains(someguid));              // delete applicable messages             messagestodelete.tolist().foreach(x => queue.deletemessageasync(x));                         } 

note tried using peekmessagesasync() avoid affecting messages not need deleted, not give popreceipt required deletemessageasync().

the questions:

1. is there way without pulling all of messages down? (there quite few)
2. if 1 isnt possible, there way popreceipt message if use peekmessagesasync()?

is there way without pulling of messages down? (there quite few)

unfortunately no. have get messages (a maximum of 32 @ time) , analyze contents of messages determine if message should deleted.

if 1 isnt possible, there way popreceipt message if use peekmessagesasync()?

again, no. in order popreceipt, message must dequeued possible via getmessagesasync(). peekmessagesasync() returns message without altering visibility.

possible solution

you may want service bus topics , subscriptions kind of functionality.

what create topic messages sent.

then create 2 subscriptions: in 1 subscription set rule checks message contents matching value , in other subscription set rule checks message contents not matching value.

what azure service bus check each message arrives against rules , accordingly pushes message in appropriate subscription. way have nice separation of messages should/shouldn't deleted.