Public Function Serialize(ByVal items As ICollection) As String
      Dim ret As String = String.Empty
      Dim list As New List(Of Object)
 
      For Each i In items
         list.Add(i)
      Next
 
      Dim ms As New IO.MemoryStream()
      Dim formatter As New _
        Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter
 
      Try
         formatter.Serialize(ms, list)
         ret = Convert.ToBase64String(ms.ToArray)
 
      Catch ex As Exception
         Debug.WriteLine("Fehler: " & ex.Message)
      Finally
         ms.Close()
      End Try
 
      Return ret
   End Function

   Public Function Deserialize(ByVal text As String) As List(Of Object)
      Dim list As New List(Of Object)
      Dim data As Byte() = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(text)
      Dim ms As New IO.MemoryStream
 
      ms.Write(data, 0, data.Length)
      ms.Position = 0
 
      Try
         Dim formatter As New _
           System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary.BinaryFormatter
         list = DirectCast(formatter.Deserialize(ms), List(Of Object))
 
      Catch ex As Exception
         Debug.WriteLine("Fehler: " & ex.Message)
      Finally
         ms.Close()
      End Try
 
      Return list
   End Function