[javascript] Query-string encoding of a Javascript Object

If you want to convert a nested object recursively and the object may or may not contain arrays (and the arrays may contain objects or arrays, etc), then the solution gets a little more complex. This is my attempt.

I've also added some options to choose if you want to record for each object member at what depth in the main object it sits, and to choose if you want to add a label to the members that come from converted arrays.

Ideally you should test if the thing parameter really receives an object or array.

function thingToString(thing,maxDepth,recordLevel,markArrays){
    //thing: object or array to be recursively serialized
    //maxDepth (int or false):
    // (int) how deep to go with converting objects/arrays within objs/arrays
    // (false) no limit to recursive objects/arrays within objects/arrays
    //recordLevel (boolean):
    //  true - insert "(level 1)" before transcript of members at level one (etc)
    //  false - just 
    //markArrays (boolean):
    //  insert text to indicate any members that came from arrays
    var result = "";
    if (maxDepth !== false && typeof maxDepth != 'number') {maxDepth = 3;}
    var runningDepth = 0;//Keeps track how deep we're into recursion

    //First prepare the function, so that it can call itself recursively
    function serializeAnything(thing){
        //Set path-finder values
        runningDepth += 1;
        if(recordLevel){result += "(level " + runningDepth + ")";}

        //First convert any arrays to object so they can be processed
        if (thing instanceof Array){
            var realObj = {};var key;
            if (markArrays) {realObj['type'] = "converted array";}
            for (var i = 0;i < thing.length;i++){
                if (markArrays) {key = "a" + i;} else {key = i;}
                realObj[key] = thing[i];
            }
            thing = realObj;
            console.log('converted one array to ' + typeof realObj);
            console.log(thing);
        }

        //Then deal with it
        for (var member in thing){
            if (typeof thing[member] == 'object' && runningDepth < maxDepth){
                serializeAnything(thing[member]);
                //When a sub-object/array is serialized, it will add one to
                //running depth. But when we continue to this object/array's
                //next sibling, the level must go back up by one
                runningDepth -= 1;
            } else if (maxDepth !== false && runningDepth >= maxDepth) {
                console.log('Reached bottom');
            } else 
            if (
                typeof thing[member] == "string" || 
                typeof thing[member] == 'boolean' ||
                typeof thing[member] == 'number'
            ){
                result += "(" + member + ": " + thing[member] + ") ";
            }  else {
                result += "(" + member + ": [" + typeof thing[member] + " not supported]) ";
            }
        }
    }
    //Actually kick off the serialization
    serializeAnything(thing);

    return result;

}