Create new HttpContext for MvcMailer so I can use async/await

Question

I'm using MVCMailer which depends on an HttpContext to send out mail.

In some cases I'm sending mail from a WebJob, or in an async task that is used in a flow that calls ConfigureAwait(false) so I lose the context before I hit the MVCMailer code.

My options seem to be:

• Never use ConfigureAwait(false) (so many of my services use Mailing at some point, so one instance of this will remove the context I need)
• New up an HttpContext if needed so that I can mail despite not having one
• Not use MvcMailer and use a third party

I'm looking for the fast and easy solution - newing up an HttpContext if needed. Is this possible?

This is the code I'm using now that depends on the HttpContext:

 public class UserMailer : MailerBase {
    public UserMailer() {
        MasterName = "_Layout";
    }

    public virtual MvcMailMessage Message(MailMessage message, string unsubscribeLink = null) {
        ViewBag.Body = message.Body;
        ViewBag.Subject = message.Subject;
        ViewBag.UnsubscribeLink = unsubscribeLink;
        return Populate(x => {
            x.ViewName = "Message";
        });
    }
}

Answer 1

If MvcMailer has to have an HttpContext reference, I would abstract it. Create a common mail interface or base class (looks like you have that now with MailerBase) which if you have:

public class WebJobMailer : MailerBase { .. }

Then you can have the webjob use this implementation, but your MVC app the MvcMailer implementation... WebJob mailer could fall back to System.Net.Mail then, or use something else.