jquery.serialize-list.js

/**
 * jQuery Serialize List
 * Copyright (c) 2009 Mike Botsko, Botsko.net LLC
 * Licensed under the MIT (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
 * Copyright notice and license must remain intact for legal use
 * Version .2
 *
 * Serialize an unordered or ordered list item. Optional ability
 * to determine which attributes are included. The serialization
 * will be read by PHP as a multidimensional array which you may
 * use for saving state.
 *
 * http://github.com/botskonet/jquery.serialize-list
 */
(function($){
    $.fn.serializelist = function(options) {
        // Extend the configuration options with user-provided
        var defaults = {
            attributes: ['id', 'class'], // which html attributes should be sent?
            text: true,
            allow_nest: true, // allow nested elements to be included
            prepend: 'ul', // which query string param name should be used?
            att_regex: false, // replacement regex to run on attr values
            is_child: false // determine if we're serializing a child list
        };
        var opts = $.extend(defaults, options);
        var serialStr     = '';
        if(!opts.is_child){
            opts.prepend = '&'+opts.prepend;
        }
        // Begin the core plugin
        this.each(function() {
            var li_count = 0;
            $(this).children().each(function(index, li){
                if(opts.allow_nest || opts.attributes.length > 1){
                    for(att in opts.attributes){
                        val = att_rep(opts.attributes[att], $(this).attr(opts.attributes[att]));
                        if (val != undefined) serialStr += opts.prepend+'['+li_count+']['+opts.attributes[att]+']='+val;
                        if ($(li).children().size() > 1) {
                            serialStr += opts.prepend+'['+li_count+'][text]='+$(li)[0].firstChild.textContent;
                        }
                        else {
                            if (opts.text) {
                                if (opts.attributes[att] == 'id') {
                                    serialStr += opts.prepend+'['+li_count+'][text]='+$(this).text();
                                }                            
                            }
                        }                        
                    }
                } else {
                    val = att_rep(opts.attributes[0], $(this).attr(opts.attributes[0]));
                    if (val != undefined) serialStr += opts.prepend+'['+li_count+']='+val;
                    if ($(li).children().size() > 1) {
                        if (opts.text) {
                            if (opts.attributes[att] == 'id') {
                                serialStr += opts.prepend+'['+li_count+'][text]='+$(li)[0].firstChild.textContent;
                            }                            
                        }                        
                    }
                    else {
                        if (opts.text) {
                            if (opts.attributes[att] == 'id') {
                                serialStr += opts.prepend+'['+li_count+'][text]='+$(this).text();
                            }                            
                        }
                    } 
                }
                // append any children elements
                if(opts.allow_nest){
                    var child_base = opts.prepend+'['+li_count+'][children]';
                    $(this).children().each(function(){
                        if(this.tagName == 'UL' || this.tagName == 'OL'){
                            serialStr += $(this).serializelist({
                                'prepend': child_base, 
                                'is_child': true, 
                                'attributes':opts.attributes
                            });
                        }
                    });
                }
                li_count++;
            });
            function att_rep (att, val){
                if(opts.att_regex){
                    for(x in opts.att_regex){
                        if(opts.att_regex[x].att == att){
                            return val.replace(opts.att_regex[x].regex, '');
                        }
                    }
                } else {
                    return val;
                }
            }
        });
        return(serialStr);
    };
})(jQuery);