Workaround for HttpContext.HideRequestResponse being internal? Detect if HttpContext.Request is really available?

Question

We\'re migrating an application to use IIS7 integrated mode. In library code that is designed to work either within the context of an HTTP request or not, we commonly have

Answer 1

I would refactor your code to this:

if (IsRequestAvailable())
{
    // do something with HttpContext.Current.Request...
}
else
{
    // do equivalent thing without HttpContext...
}

public Boolean IsRequestAvailable()
{
    if (HttpContext.Current == null)
        return false;

    try
    {
        if (HttpContext.Current.Request == null)
            return false;
    }
    catch (System.Web.HttpException ex)
    {
        #if DEBUG
            // Testing exception to a magic string not the best practice but
            // it works for this demo.
            if (ex.Message == "Request is not available in this context")
                return false;

            throw;
        #else
            return false;
        #endif
    }

    return true;
}

Your question asked not to use exception handling (I assume for performance reasons) and my answer does. However, by changing your code from using "If (HttpContext.Current != null && HttpContext.Current.Request != null)" to "If (IsRequestAvailable())" you only have one place to change the code when you find an answer how not to use exception handling.