gistfile1.js

// Add a setTimeout and setInterval to HTMLElement. The setTimeout and setInterval remove themselves if the element is removed.
// Another possible implementation: global service.
HTMLElement.prototype.setTimeout = function (callback, calltime) {
 var current_element = this
 function is_attached (obj) {
  while (true) {
   obj = obj.parentNode
   if (obj == document.documentElement) return true
   if (obj == null) return false
  }
 }
 function callback_wrapper () {
  var args = Array.prototype.slice.call (arguments)
  if (!is_attached(current_element)) return
  callback.apply (null, args)
 }
 var timeout_id = window.setTimeout (callback_wrapper, calltime)
 return timeout_id
}
HTMLElement.prototype.setInterval = function (callback, calltime) {
 var current_element = this
 function is_attached (obj) {
  while (true) {
   obj = obj.parentNode
   if (obj == document.documentElement) return true
   if (obj == null) return false
  }
 }
 function callback_wrapper () {
  var args = Array.prototype.slice.call (arguments)
  if (!is_attached(current_element)) {clearInterval (interval_id); return}
  callback.apply (null, args)
 }
 var interval_id = window.setInterval (callback_wrapper, calltime)
 return interval_id
}