// function serialize(obj) {
// 	var serialized='';
// 	switch(typeof obj) {
// 		case 'object':
// 			if(obj!=null) {
// 				serialized+="a:"+obj.length+":{";
// 				for(var idx=0; idx<obj.length; idx++) {
// 					idx=parseInt(idx)==idx ? parseInt(idx) : idx;
// 					var serIdx = serialize(idx);
// 					if (serIdx=='_false_') { return '_false_';}
// 					var serObjIdx = serialize(obj[idx]);
// 					if (serObjIdx=='_false_') { return '_false_';}
// 					serialized += serIdx + serObjIdx;
// 				}
// 				serialized+="}";
// 			} else {
// 				serialized+="N;";
// 			}
// 			break;
// 		case 'boolean':
// 			serialized+"b:"+obj+";";
// 			break;
// 		case 'number':
// 			serialized+=Math.round(obj)==obj ? "i:" : "d:";
// 			serialized+=obj+";";
// 			break;
// 		case 'string':
// 			serialized+="s:"+obj.length+":\""+obj.replace(/\"/, '\"')+"\";";
// 			break;
// 		case 'function':
// 			break;
// 		default:
// 			alert(typeof obj+" sconosciuto!");
// 			serialized = '_false_';
// 			break;
// 	}
// 	return serialized;
// }

function serialize( mixed_value ) {
    // http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net
    // +   original by: Arpad Ray (mailto:arpad@php.net)
    // +   improved by: Dino
    // +   bugfixed by: Andrej Pavlovic
    // +   bugfixed by: Garagoth
    // %          note: We feel the main purpose of this function should be to ease the transport of data between php & js
    // %          note: Aiming for PHP-compatibility, we have to translate objects to arrays
    // *     example 1: serialize(['Kevin', 'van', 'Zonneveld']);
    // *     returns 1: 'a:3:{i:0;s:5:"Kevin";i:1;s:3:"van";i:2;s:9:"Zonneveld";}'
    // *     example 2: serialize({firstName: 'Kevin', midName: 'van', surName: 'Zonneveld'});
    // *     returns 2: 'a:3:{s:9:"firstName";s:5:"Kevin";s:7:"midName";s:3:"van";s:7:"surName";s:9:"Zonneveld";}'
 
    var _getType = function( inp ) {
        var type = typeof inp, match;
        var key;
        if (type == 'object' && !inp) {
            return 'null';
        }
        if (type == "object") {
            if (!inp.constructor) {
                return 'object';
            }
            var cons = inp.constructor.toString();
            if (match = cons.match(/(\w+)\(/)) {
                cons = match[1].toLowerCase();
            }
            var types = ["boolean", "number", "string", "array"];
            for (key in types) {
                if (cons == types[key]) {
                    type = types[key];
                    break;
                }
            }
        }
        return type;
    };
    var type = _getType(mixed_value);
    var val, ktype = '';
    
    switch (type) {
        case "function": 
            val = ""; 
            break;
        case "undefined":
            val = "N";
            break;
        case "boolean":
            val = "b:" + (mixed_value ? "1" : "0");
            break;
        case "number":
            val = (Math.round(mixed_value) == mixed_value ? "i" : "d") + ":" + mixed_value;
            break;
        case "string":
        	//Leggo la lunghezza in byte della stringa.
        	//Questo mi permette di gestire anche i caratteri speciali
        	var stringaLen = encodeURIComponent(mixed_value).replace(/%../g, 'x').length
//             val = "s:" + mixed_value.length + ":\"" + mixed_value + "\"";
            val = "s:" + stringaLen + ":\"" + mixed_value + "\"";
            break;
        case "array":
        case "object":
            val = "a";
            /*
            if (type == "object") {
                var objname = mixed_value.constructor.toString().match(/(\w+)\(\)/);
                if (objname == undefined) {
                    return;
                }
                objname[1] = serialize(objname[1]);
                val = "O" + objname[1].substring(1, objname[1].length - 1);
            }
            */
            var count = 0;
            var vals = "";
            var okey;
            var key;
            for (key in mixed_value) {
                ktype = _getType(mixed_value[key]);
                if (ktype == "function") { 
                    continue; 
                }
                
                okey = (key.match(/^[0-9]+$/) ? parseInt(key, 10) : key);
                vals += serialize(okey) +
                        serialize(mixed_value[key]);
                count++;
            }
            val += ":" + count + ":{" + vals + "}";
            break;
    }
    if (type != "object" && type != "array") val += ";";
    return val;
}

function getParentType(parentType, obj) {
	parentType=parentType.toUpperCase();
	try {
		while(obj.nodeName!=parentType)
			obj=obj.parentNode;
	} catch(e) {
		alert(e.toString());
		return false;
	}
	return obj;
}

function getElementsByAttributeValue(objtype, attr, attrval) {
	var nodeColl=new Array();
	var objtypeColl=document.getElementsByTagName(objtype);
	for(var i=0; i<objtypeColl.length; i++) {
		if(objtypeColl.item(i).getAttribute(attr)==attrval)
			nodeColl.push(objtypeColl.item(i));
	}
	return nodeColl;
}