added byte array conversion for message attachment

in addition reformatted variable names as per @CyB3RC0nN0R s request

src/main/java/envoy/data/Message.java

@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public class Message implements Serializable {
 	 * @return the date at which this message was created
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
-	public Date getDate() { return creationDate; }
+	public Date getCreationDate() { return creationDate; }
 
 	/**
 	 * @return the date at which the message has been received by the sender
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ public class Message implements Serializable {
 	public Date getReceivedDate() { return receivedDate; }
 
 	/**
-	 * 
 	 * @param receivedDate the date at which the message has been received by the
 	 *                     sender
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
@@ -181,4 +180,13 @@ public class Message implements Serializable {
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
 	public MessageStatus getStatus() { return status; }
+
+	/**
+	 * @param status the new {@link MessageStatus}, if permitted
+	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
+	 */
+	public void setStatus(MessageStatus status) {
+		if (status.ordinal() < this.status.ordinal()) throw new IllegalStateException("This message is moving backwards in time");
+		else this.status = status;
+	}
 }

src/main/java/envoy/data/MessageAttachment.java

@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package envoy.data;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
+import envoy.util.SerializationUtils;
+
 /**
  * This interface should be used for any type supposed to be a {@link Message}
  * attachment (i.e. images or sound).<br>
@@ -14,11 +17,27 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
  * @param <T> the type of this message attachment
  * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
  */
-public interface MessageAttachment<T> extends Serializable {
+public class MessageAttachment<T> implements Serializable {
+
+	private static final long	serialVersionUID	= 262683855157198013L;
+	private T					value;
 
 	/**
 	 * @return the type implementing this interface
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
-	T get();
+	T getValue() { return value; }
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the {@link MessageAttachment} as a byte array
+	 * @throws IOException if the serialization failed
+	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
+	 */
+	byte[] toByteArray() throws IOException { return SerializationUtils.writeToByteArray(this); }
+
+	/**
+	 * @param value the value to set
+	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
+	 */
+	public void setValue(T value) { this.value = value; }
 }

src/main/java/envoy/event/MessageStatusChangeEvent.java

@@ -14,22 +14,22 @@ import envoy.data.Message;
  */
 public class MessageStatusChangeEvent implements Event<Message.MessageStatus> {
 
-	private final long					messageId;
+	private final long					id;
-	private final Message.MessageStatus	messageStatus;
+	private final Message.MessageStatus	status;
 	private final Date					date;
 
 	/**
 	 * Initializes a {@link MessageStatusChangeEvent}.
 	 *
-	 * @param messageId     the ID of the {@link Message} this event is related to
+	 * @param id     the ID of the {@link Message} this event is related to
-	 * @param messageStatus the status of the {@link Message} this event is related
+	 * @param status the status of the {@link Message} this event is related
 	 *                      to
 	 * @param date          the date at which the MessageStatus change occurred
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
-	public MessageStatusChangeEvent(long messageId, Message.MessageStatus messageStatus, Date date) {
+	public MessageStatusChangeEvent(long id, Message.MessageStatus status, Date date) {
-		this.messageId		= messageId;
+		this.id		= id;
-		this.messageStatus	= messageStatus;
+		this.status	= status;
 		this.date			= date;
 	}
 
@@ -38,16 +38,16 @@ public class MessageStatusChangeEvent implements Event<Message.MessageStatus> {
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
 	@Override
-	public Message.MessageStatus get() { return messageStatus; }
+	public Message.MessageStatus get() { return status; }
 
 	/**
 	 * @return the ID of the {@link Message} this event is related to
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
-	public long getMessageId() { return messageId; }
+	public long getId() { return id; }
 
 	/**
-	 * @return the date at which the messageStatus change occurred
+	 * @return the date at which the status change occurred
 	 * @since Envoy Common v0.2-alpha
 	 */
 	public Date getDate() { return date; }