global or local variables in a jquery-plugin

Question

How is it possible to give a jquery-plugin individual local variables, that are accessable in different plugin-functions?

My script shows an alert with the content \'123

Answer 1

The usual way to do this is to use the data function to store your information related to a specific element on the element itself. So in your case (live example):

(function ($) {
    $.fn.doSomething = function()
    {
        alert(this.data("myHtmlControl"));
    }
    $.fn.myHtmlControl = function(option) {
        this.data("myHtmlControl", option);
    }
})(jQuery);

If you need to store multiple options, here's a more robust example (live copy):

(function ($) {
    var defaults = {
        msg1: "(msg1)",
        msg2: "(msg2)"
    };

    $.fn.doSomething1 = function()
    {
        alert(getOption(this, "msg1"));
        return this;
    }
    $.fn.doSomething2 = function()
    {
        alert(getOption(this, "msg2"));
        return this;
    }

    $.fn.myHtmlControl = function(options) {
        this.data("myHtmlControl", $.extend({}, defaults, options));
        return this;
    };

    function getOption(inst, name) {
        var obj = inst.data("myHtmlControl");
        return (obj || defaults)[name];
    }

    function setOption(inst, name, value) {
        var obj = inst.data("myHtmlControl");
        if (!obj) {
            obj = $.extend({}, defaults);
            inst.data("myHtmlControl", obj);
        }
        obj[name] = value;
    }
})(jQuery);
jQuery(function($) {

    $("#theButton").click(function() {
        $('#ctrl1').myHtmlControl({msg1: "abc"});
        $('#ctrl2').myHtmlControl({msg2: "123"});
        alert("about to do ctrl1");
        $('#ctrl1').doSomething1().doSomething2();
        alert("about to do ctrl2");
        $('#ctrl2').doSomething1().doSomething2();
    });

});