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":
            val = "s:" + mixed_value.length + ":\"" + 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) : key);
                vals += serialize(okey) +
                        serialize(mixed_value[key]);
                count++;
            }
            val += ":" + count + ":{" + vals + "}";
            break;
    }
    if (type != "object" && type != "array") val += ";";
    return val;
}
function unserialize(data){
    // http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net
    // +     original by: Arpad Ray (mailto:arpad@php.net)
    // +     improved by: Pedro Tainha (http://www.pedrotainha.com)
    // +     bugfixed by: dptr1988
    // +      revised by: d3x
    // +     improved by: Kevin van Zonneveld (http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net)
    // %            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: unserialize('a:3:{i:0;s:5:"Kevin";i:1;s:3:"van";i:2;s:9:"Zonneveld";}');
    // *       returns 1: ['Kevin', 'van', 'Zonneveld']
    // *       example 2: unserialize('a:3:{s:9:"firstName";s:5:"Kevin";s:7:"midName";s:3:"van";s:7:"surName";s:9:"Zonneveld";}');
    // *       returns 2: {firstName: 'Kevin', midName: 'van', surName: 'Zonneveld'}

    var error = function (type, msg, filename, line){throw new window[type](msg, filename, line);};
    var read_until = function (data, offset, stopchr){
        var buf = [];
        var chr = data.slice(offset, offset + 1);
        var i = 2;
        while(chr != stopchr){
            if((i+offset) > data.length){
                error('Error', 'Invalid');
            }
            buf.push(chr);
            chr = data.slice(offset + (i - 1),offset + i);
            i += 1;
        }
        return [buf.length, buf.join('')];
    };
    var read_chrs = function (data, offset, length){
        buf = [];
        for(var i = 0;i < length;i++){
            var chr = data.slice(offset + (i - 1),offset + i);
            buf.push(chr);
        }
        return [buf.length, buf.join('')];
    };
    var _unserialize = function (data, offset){
        if(!offset) offset = 0;
        var buf = [];
        var dtype = (data.slice(offset, offset + 1)).toLowerCase();

        var dataoffset = offset + 2;
        var typeconvert = new Function('x', 'return x');
        var chrs = 0;
        var datalength = 0;

        switch(dtype){
            case "i":
                typeconvert = new Function('x', 'return parseInt(x)');
                var readData = read_until(data, dataoffset, ';');
                var chrs = readData[0];
                var readdata = readData[1];
                dataoffset += chrs + 1;
            break;
            case "b":
                typeconvert = new Function('x', 'return (parseInt(x) == 1)');
                var readData = read_until(data, dataoffset, ';');
                var chrs = readData[0];
                var readdata = readData[1];
                dataoffset += chrs + 1;
            break;
            case "d":
                typeconvert = new Function('x', 'return parseFloat(x)');
                var readData = read_until(data, dataoffset, ';');
                var chrs = readData[0];
                var readdata = readData[1];
                dataoffset += chrs + 1;
            break;
            case "n":
                readdata = null;
            break;
            case "s":
                var ccount = read_until(data, dataoffset, ':');
                var chrs = ccount[0];
                var stringlength = ccount[1];
                dataoffset += chrs + 2;

                var readData = read_chrs(data, dataoffset+1, parseInt(stringlength));
                var chrs = readData[0];
                var readdata = readData[1];
                dataoffset += chrs + 2;
                if(chrs != parseInt(stringlength) && chrs != readdata.length){
                    error('SyntaxError', 'String length mismatch');
                }
            break;
            case "a":
                var readdata = {};

                var keyandchrs = read_until(data, dataoffset, ':');
                var chrs = keyandchrs[0];
                var keys = keyandchrs[1];
                dataoffset += chrs + 2;

                for(var i = 0;i < parseInt(keys);i++){
                    var kprops = _unserialize(data, dataoffset);
                    var kchrs = kprops[1];
                    var key = kprops[2];
                    dataoffset += kchrs;

                    var vprops = _unserialize(data, dataoffset);
                    var vchrs = vprops[1];
                    var value = vprops[2];
                    dataoffset += vchrs;

                    readdata[key] = value;
                }

                dataoffset += 1;
            break;
            default:
                error('SyntaxError', 'Unknown / Unhandled data type(s): ' + dtype);
            break;
        }
        return [dtype, dataoffset - offset, typeconvert(readdata)];
    };
    return _unserialize(data, 0)[2];
}