Using subqueues to enhance local message processing

At a computer system that is network connectable along with one or more other computer systems to a network, the computer system including a queue manager that controls one or more message queues at the computer system, a method for moving a message between queues, the method comprising:

• an act of receiving a first handle that identifies a first queue, the first handle including a parent value that identifies a parent portion of a queue and a first suffix value that identifies a first sub-portion of the queue;
• an act of utilizing the first handle to locate a message within the first queue, the message including a queue identifier having a parent value portion storing the parent value and a suffix value portion storing the first suffix value;
• an act of receiving a second handle identifying a second queue that is to receive the located message, the second handle including the parent value and a second suffix value identifying a second sub-portion of the queue;
• and
• an act of storing the second suffix value in the suffix value portion of the queue identifier so as to logically move the message from the first queue to the second queue.

One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure representing an electronic message, the data structure comprising:

• a content field storing content values that represent the content of the electronic message;
• and
• a queue identifier field storing a queue identifier value identifying a queue where the content of the electronic message represented in the content field is to be enqueued, the queue identifier field comprising:
• a parent value field storing a parent value identifying a parent portion of the queue;
• and
• a suffix value field storing a suffix value identifying a sub-portion of the queue.