def read_varlen(data):
    NEXTBYTE = 1
    value = 0
    while NEXTBYTE:
        chr = ord(data.next())
        # is the hi-bit set?
        if not (chr & 0x80):
            # no next BYTE
            NEXTBYTE = 0
        # mask out the 8th bit
        chr = chr & 0x7f
        # shift last value up 7 bits
        value = value << 7
        # add new value
        value += chr
    return value

def write_varlen(value):
    chr1 = chr(value & 0x7F)
    value >>= 7
    if value:
        chr2 = chr((value & 0x7F) | 0x80)
        value >>= 7
        if value:
            chr3 = chr((value & 0x7F) | 0x80)
            value >>= 7
            if value:
                chr4 = chr((value & 0x7F) | 0x80)
                res = chr4 + chr3 + chr2 + chr1
            else:
                res = chr3 + chr2 + chr1
        else:
            res = chr2 + chr1
    else:
        res = chr1
    return res