(function($) {

$.extend({
	metadata : {
		defaults : {
			type: 'class',
			name: 'metadata',
			cre: /({.*})/,
			single: 'metadata'
		},
		setType: function( type, name ){
			this.defaults.type = type;
			this.defaults.name = name;
		},
		get: function( elem, opts ){
			var settings = $.extend({},this.defaults,opts);
			// check for empty string in single property
			if ( !settings.single.length ) settings.single = 'metadata';
			
			var data = $.data(elem, settings.single);
			// returned cached data if it already exists
			if ( data ) return data;
			
			data = "{}";
			
			if ( settings.type == "class" ) {
				var m = settings.cre.exec( elem.className );
				if ( m )
					data = m[1];
			} else if ( settings.type == "elem" ) {
				if( !elem.getElementsByTagName ) return;
				var e = elem.getElementsByTagName(settings.name);
				if ( e.length )
					data = $.trim(e[0].innerHTML);
			} else if ( elem.getAttribute != undefined ) {
				var attr = elem.getAttribute( settings.name );
				if ( attr )
					data = attr;
			}
			
			if ( data.indexOf( '{' ) <0 )
			data = "{" + data + "}";
			
			data = eval("(" + data + ")");
			
			$.data( elem, settings.single, data );
			return data;
		}
	}
});

/**
 * Returns the metadata object for the first member of the jQuery object.
 *
 * @name metadata
 * @descr Returns element's metadata object
 * @param Object opts An object contianing settings to override the defaults
 * @type jQuery
 * @cat Plugins/Metadata
 */
$.fn.metadata = function( opts ){
	return $.metadata.get( this[0], opts );
};

})(jQuery);