better-jquery-ajax.js

// Place your application-specific JavaScript functions and classes here
// This file is automatically included by javascript_include_tag :defaults
//

if(!window.jq && window.jQuery){
  var jq = jQuery;
};

if(!window.App){
  window.App = {};
};

App.log = function(){
  try {
    if(window.console){
      if(window.console.log){
        window.console.log.apply(window.console, arguments);
      }
    }
  } catch(e) {}
};


jq(function(){

// ajax shortcuts
//
  App.ajax = function(){
    var options = {};

    if(arguments.length == 1){
      var arg = arguments[0];

      if(typeof(arg)=='string'){
        options.url = arg;
      } else {
        options = arg;
      }
    }

    if(arguments.length > 1){
      options.url = arguments[0];

      if(typeof(arguments[1])=='function'){
        options.success = arguments[1];
        options.data = arguments[2];
      } else {
        options.data = arguments[1];
        options.success = arguments[2];
      }
    }

    var ajax = {};
    ajax.type = options.type || App.ajax.defaults.type;
    ajax.url = options.url || App.ajax.defaults.url;
    ajax.dataType = 'json';
    ajax.cache = false;

    if(ajax.type == 'POST' || ajax.type == 'PUT' || ajax.type = 'DELETE'){
      ajax.data = jQuery.toJSON(options.data || {});
    } else {
      ajax.data = (options.data || {});
    };

    ajax.contentType = (options.contentType || 'application/json; charset=utf-8');

    var result = App;

    if(options.success){
      ajax.success = options.success;
    } else {
      if(typeof(ajax.async) == 'undefined'){
        ajax.async = false;
        ajax.success = function(){
          var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
          result = args[0];
          App.ajax.results.push(result);
          App.ajax.result = result;
        };
      };
    };

    jQuery.ajax(ajax);
    return(result);
  };

  App.ajax.modes = ["options", "get", "head", "post", "put", "delete", "trace", "connect"];
  App.ajax.result = null;
  App.ajax.results = [];
  App.ajax.defaults = {};
  App.ajax.defaults.type = 'get';
  App.ajax.defaults.url = '/';

// meta-program App.ajax.get(...), App.ajax.post(...)
//

  for(var i = 0; i < App.ajax.modes.length; i++){
    (function(){
      var mode = App.ajax.modes[i];
      App.ajax[mode] = function(options){
        if(typeof(options) == 'string'){
          var opts = {'url' : options};
          options = opts;
        }
        options.type = mode.toUpperCase();
        App.ajax(options);
      };
    })();
  }
});

Great stuff Ara! So happy to see the code snippets from you in the form of gists after you closed drawohara.com. Thanks!