jQuery Plugin Boilerplate

// jQuery Plugin Boilerplate// A boilerplate for jumpstarting jQuery plugins development// version 1.1, May 14th, 2011// by Stefan Gabos // remember to change every instance of "pluginName" to the name of your plugin!(function($) {     // here we go!    $.pluginName = function(element, options) {         // plugin's default options        // this is private property and is  accessible only from inside the plugin        var defaults = {             foo: 'bar',             // if your plugin is event-driven, you may provide callback capabilities            // for its events. execute these functions before or after events of your             // plugin, so that users may customize those particular events without             // changing the plugin's code            onFoo: function() {}         }         // to avoid confusions, use "plugin" to reference the         // current instance of the object        var plugin = this;         // this will hold the merged default, and user-provided options        // plugin's properties will be available through this object like:        // plugin.settings.propertyName from inside the plugin or        // element.data('pluginName').settings.propertyName from outside the plugin,         // where "element" is the element the plugin is attached to;        plugin.settings = {}         var $element = $(element), // reference to the jQuery version of DOM element             element = element;    // reference to the actual DOM element         // the "constructor" method that gets called when the object is created        plugin.init = function() {             // the plugin's final properties are the merged default and             // user-provided options (if any)            plugin.settings = $.extend({}, defaults, options);             // code goes here         }         // public methods        // these methods can be called like:        // plugin.methodName(arg1, arg2, ... argn) from inside the plugin or        // element.data('pluginName').publicMethod(arg1, arg2, ... argn) from outside         // the plugin, where "element" is the element the plugin is attached to;         // a public method. for demonstration purposes only - remove it!        plugin.foo_public_method = function() {             // code goes here         }         // private methods        // these methods can be called only from inside the plugin like:        // methodName(arg1, arg2, ... argn)         // a private method. for demonstration purposes only - remove it!        var foo_private_method = function() {             // code goes here         }         // fire up the plugin!        // call the "constructor" method        plugin.init();     }     // add the plugin to the jQuery.fn object    $.fn.pluginName = function(options) {         // iterate through the DOM elements we are attaching the plugin to        return this.each(function() {             // if plugin has not already been attached to the element            if (undefined == $(this).data('pluginName')) {                 // create a new instance of the plugin                // pass the DOM element and the user-provided options as arguments                var plugin = new $.pluginName(this, options);                 // in the jQuery version of the element                // store a reference to the plugin object                // you can later access the plugin and its methods and properties like                // element.data('pluginName').publicMethod(arg1, arg2, ... argn) or                // element.data('pluginName').settings.propertyName                $(this).data('pluginName', plugin);             }         });     } })(jQuery);