local indent = function(i)

	return string.rep("\t", i);

end

local function basicSerialize (o)

	if type(o) == "number" or type(o) == "boolean" then

		return tostring(o);

	else -- assume it is a string -- FIXME make sure it's a string. throw an error otherwise.

		return (string.format("%q", tostring(o)):gsub("\\\n", "\\n"));

	end

end

local function _simplesave (o, ind, t)

	if type(o) == "number" then

		table.insert(t, tostring(o));

	elseif type(o) == "string" then

		table.insert(t, (string.format("%q", o):gsub("\\\n", "\\n")));

	elseif type(o) == "table" then

		table.insert(t, "{\n");

		for k,v in pairs(o) do

			table.insert(t, indent(ind));

			table.insert(t, "[");

			table.insert(t, basicSerialize(k));

			table.insert(t, "] = ");

			_simplesave(v, ind+1, t);

			table.insert(t, ",\n");

		end

		table.insert(t, indent(ind-1));

		table.insert(t, "}");

	elseif type(o) == "boolean" then

		table.insert(t, (o and "true" or "false"));

	else

		error("cannot serialize a " .. type(o))

	end

end

local t_concat = table.concat;

module "serialize"

function serialize(o)

	local t = {};

	_simplesave(o, 1, t);

	return t_concat(t);

end

return _M;