[ADD] added method for generating a message

SharedClientServer/JSONConvert.cs

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
         {
             string msg = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(json);
             dynamic payload = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(msg);
+            
             return (payload.username, payload.message);
         }
 
@@ -19,5 +20,22 @@ namespace SharedClientServer
             dynamic payload = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(Encoding.ASCII.GetString(json));
             return payload.username;
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// constructs a message that can be sent to the clients or server
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="identifier">the identifier for what kind of message it is</param>
+        /// <param name="payload">the json payload</param>
+        /// <returns>a byte array containing a message that can be sent to clients or server</returns>
+        public static byte[] GetMessageToSend(byte identifier, dynamic payload)
+        {
+            // convert the dynamic to bytes
+            byte[] payloadBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(payload));
+            // make the array that holds the message and copy the payload into it with the first spot containing the identifier
+            byte[] res = new byte[payloadBytes.Length + 1];
+            Array.Copy(payloadBytes, 0, res, 1, payloadBytes.Length);
+            res[0] = identifier;
+            return res;
+        }
     }
 }