Extract form values as an object (= a JSON .serialize() alternative)

extractObject.js

// source : http://goo.gl/bJmRv, augmented with a little checkboxes handler
$.fn.extractObject = function() {
  var accum = {};
  function add(accum, namev, value) {
    if (namev.length == 1)
      accum[namev[0]] = value;
    else {
      if (accum[namev[0]] == null)
        accum[namev[0]] = {};
      add(accum[namev[0]], namev.slice(1), value);
    }
  }; 
  this.find('input, textarea, select').each(function() {
    
    // checkboxes' "checked" attribute handling :
    if( $(this).attr('checked') && ('checked' == $(this).attr('checked'))) {
        $(this).val(true);
    }
    
    add(accum, $(this).attr('name').split('.'), $(this).val());
  });
  return accum;
};