(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);