C#: Automates the process of prefixing a byte array with length before transmitting.

NetworkStreamHelper.cs

//Johnny Vestergaard - 2011
//jkv@unixcluster.dk
//Automates the process of prefixing a byte array with length before transmitting.
//The length is sent as a fixed sized integer.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Net.Sockets;

namespace CalcCommunication
{
    public class NetworkStreamHelper
    {
        NetworkStream networkStream;

        public NetworkStreamHelper(NetworkStream networkStream)
        {
            this.networkStream = networkStream;
        }

        public byte[] GetDataWithPrefix()
        {
            byte[] buffer = new byte[4];

            networkStream.Read(buffer, 0, 4);

            int lengthToReceiver = BitConverter.ToInt32(buffer, 0);

            return GetData(lengthToReceiver);

        }

        public byte[] GetData(int bytesToReceive)
        {
            byte[] buffer = new byte[bytesToReceive];

            int offset = 0;
            int bytes_left = bytesToReceive;

            //Rumor goes that .Read() is not guaranteed to block...
            while (bytes_left > 0)
            {
                int read = networkStream.Read(buffer, offset, bytes_left);

                bytes_left = -read;
                offset = +read;
            }

            return buffer;
        }

        public void SendDataWithLengthPrefix(byte[] data)
        {

            Byte[] dataLength = BitConverter.GetBytes((int)data.Length);
            networkStream.Write(dataLength, 0, 4);
            networkStream.Flush();

            networkStream.Write(data, 0, data.Length);
            networkStream.Flush();
        }
    }
}