Posted on reddit to get help with python socket programming -- (This includes the server and client in one file)

socket.py

import socket
NetworkPort = 59281

class NetworkClient:#run on ML /remote computer
    #global NetworkHost, NetworkPort

    def __init__(self, sock=None):
        if sock is None:
            self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
        else:
            self.sock = sock

    def connect(self, host=NetworkHost, port=NetworkHost):#put in init?
        self.sock.connect((NetworkHost, NetworkPort))
        print('Connected to: '+NetworkHost+ ' On port: '+str(NetworkPort))

    def send(self, msg):#used for sending orders
        self.sock.sendall(msg.encode())#sendall only stops sending when everything is sent

    def listen(self):#used for getting images
        final = ''#try the "final += data" trick if it errors
        while True:
            data = self.sock.recv(1024)
            data = data.decode()
            if data != '':#if something was received
                print('something was found')
                return data#only exit for the loop/ function

net = NetworkClient()#this works
net.connect()#this works

net.send(str('order'))#this works

image = net.listen()#broken(see reddit for why)
print('image: '+str(image))
              
              
#End of client program


import socket
NetworkPort = 59281

class NetworkServer:#run on the pi
	#global NetworkHost, NetworkPort

    def __init__(self, sock=None, port=NetworkPort):
        if sock is None:
            self.sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
            self.sock.bind(('', NetworkPort))#allow any ip
            self.sock.listen(1)#limit connection to one client
            print('Waiting for the ML client')
            self.conn, addr = self.sock.accept()
            print('New connection from: [add later]')
        else:
            self.sock = sock
	
    def send(self, msg):
        self.sock.sendall(msg.encode())

    def listen(self):
        while True:
            data = self.conn.recv(1024)
            data = data.decode()
            if data != '':#if something was received
                return data#only exit of the loop/ function
              
net = NetworkServer()#this works

array = net.listen()#this works
print('array: '+array)#this works

net.send('sml')#broken(see reddit for why)