A very simple serialization for arrays in javascript.

While developing a google module, I had to store an array of strings in a single string.

To do that, since I'm lazy and I didn't want to learn Json or similar stuff,
I came out with a simple trick (that I guess it is already been rediscovered 10.000 times).

Here it is. Suppose you want to achieve the following:

  var a = new Array();
  a[0] = "x123";
  a[1] = "y";
  a[2] = "z";
  // ...
  serialize( a ); // returns: " 'x123','y','z' "
  var b = eval( " new Array " + a.serialize()  );

Then your serialize method could simply store your array as its own declaration, then use eval to execute the declaration and clone your array.
A simple trick, but it works :)

Try this script:

Array.prototype.serialize =
 function (){
  var s="("
  for (var i=0;i < this.length;i++){
   s += "'" + this[i] + "'"
   if (i < this.length-1)
    s += ","
  }
  s += ");"
  return s
 }

var a = new Array();
   a[0] = "x123";
   a[1] = "y";
   a[2] = "z";

var b = eval( " new Array " + a.serialize()  );

document.write("original array: "+a );
document.write("  de-serialized array: "+b );