diff --git a/src/record.rs b/src/record.rs
index 989029a..3386375 100644
--- a/src/record.rs
+++ b/src/record.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
+use crate::bytebuffer::ByteBuffer;
 use crate::values::*;
+use crate::varint;
 
 struct Record {
-    rowid: i64,
+    rowid: u64,
+    //or should it be i64??
     values: Vec<Value>,
 }
 
 impl Record {
-    fn new(rowid: i64) -> Self {
+    fn new(rowid: u64) -> Self {
         Self {
             rowid,
             values: vec![],
@@ -16,6 +19,35 @@ impl Record {
     fn add_value(&mut self, value: Value) {
         self.values.push(value);
     }
+
+    fn to_bytes(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let record_length: usize = self.values.iter()
+            .map(|v| v.get_length())
+            .sum();
+        let length_bytes = varint::write(record_length as u64);
+        let rowid_bytes = varint::write(self.rowid);
+
+        let mut buffer = ByteBuffer::new(length_bytes.len() + rowid_bytes.len() + record_length);
+        buffer.put_u8v(&length_bytes);
+        buffer.put_u8v(&rowid_bytes);
+
+        // 'The initial portion of the payload that does not spill to overflow pages.'
+        let length_of_encoded_column_types: usize = self.values.iter()
+            .map(|v| v.datatype.len())
+            .sum();
+        buffer.put_u8v(&varint::write((length_of_encoded_column_types + 1) as u64));
+
+        //write all types
+        for v in self.values.iter() {
+            buffer.put_u8v(&v.datatype)
+        }
+
+        //  write all values
+        for v in self.values.iter() {
+            buffer.put_u8v(&v.data) //copies individual bytes into a buffer...should I avoid copying?
+        }
+        buffer.data
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -25,6 +57,6 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test() {
         let mut record = Record::new(1);
-        record.add_value(Value::String("hello".to_owned()));
+        record.add_value(string("hello"));
     }
 }
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