What is the best way to convert a cluster into byte array or string

Question

I'm writing a program that sends UDP packets and I've defined the data I want to send via large clusters (with u8/u16/u32 numbers, u8/u16/u32 arrays, and nested clusters). Right before sending the data, I need to convert the clusters either into strings or byte arrays. The flatten to string function is almost perfect for this purpose. However, it's appending lengths to arrays and strings which renders this method useless, as far as I can tell. 
As I have many of these clusters, I would rather not hard code the unbundle by names and converting/typecasting to byte arrays or strings for each one. 
Is there a feature or tool I am overlooking? 
Thank you! 

Answer 1

deceased wrote:
Flatten to string has a boolean input of "Prepend string or array size" ... The default value is true.
That only specifies if a string or array size should be prepended if the outermost data element is a string or array. For embedded strings or arrays it has no influence. This is needed for the Unflatten to be able to reconstruct the size of the embedded strings and arrays.
The choice to represent the "Strings" (and Arrays) in the external protocol to LabVIEW strings (and arrays) is actually a pretty bad one unless there is some other element in the cluster that does define the length of the string. An external protocol always needs some means to determine how long the embedded string or array would be in order to decode the subsequent elements that follow correctly.
Possible choices here are therefore:
1) some explicit length in the protocol (usually prepended to the actual string or array)
2) a terminating NULL character for strings, (not very friendly for reliable protocol parsing)
3) A fixed size array or string
For number 1) and 2) you would always need to do some special processing unless the protocol happens to use explicitedly 32 bit integer length indicators directly prepended before the variable sized that.
For number 3) the best representation in LabVIEW is actually a cluster with as many elements inside as the fixed size.