    # File temp/document.rb, line 161
        def serialize( formatter = nil )
          if xml_decl.encoding != "UTF-8" && !output.kind_of?(Output)
            output = Output.new( output, xml_decl.encoding )
          end

          formatter = REXML::Pretty.new( $stdout ) if (formatter.nil?)

                            @children.each { |node|
            puts "node = #{node.inspect}"
                                    indent( output, indent ) if node.node_type == :element
                                    if node.write( output, indent, transitive, ie_hack )
              output << "\n" unless indent<0 or node == @children[-1]
            end
                            }
        end