(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 undefined;
                    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);