A solid starter template for your jQuery plugins. Inspired by https://github.com/jquery-boilerplate/jquery-boilerplate

jpb.js

/**
 * JPB - JQUERY PLUGIN BOILERPLATE
 * A solid starter template for your jQuery plugins.
 * Inspired by http://jqueryboilerplate.com
 * @copyright  André Kroll
 * @license    MIT
 */
;
(function ($, window, document, undefined) {
    var PLUGIN_NAME = 'my_plugin'; // (i) will give you later access with: $('div').my_plugin()
    var PLUGIN_DEFAULTS = {}; // (i) set plugin default options

    function PLUGIN(element, options) {
        this._$element = $(element);
        this._options = this._validateOptions(options, PLUGIN_DEFAULTS);
        // (i) put your constructor logic here ...
    };

    PLUGIN.prototype = {

        // <PUBLIC_PLUGIN_LOGIC> ...........................................................................................

        helloWorld: function () {
            alert('Hello World!');
        },

        // <PRIVATE_PLUGIN_LOGIC> ..........................................................................................

        // Validate options and merge with defaults
        _validateOptions: function (options, defaults) {
            // (i) put your option validation logic here ...
            return $.extend({}, defaults, options);
        }

    };

    // <PRIVATE_STATIC_HELPERS> ..........................................................................................
    {
        // Simple and safe function to log/debug elements
        function log(varToLog) {
            if (window.console && window.console.log) {
                window.console.log(varToLog);
            }
        }
    }

    // <JPB_CORE> ......................................................................................................
    {
        // Register global access through window object for altering plugin defaults
        window[PLUGIN_NAME + '_defaults'] = PLUGIN_DEFAULTS;
        // Register the plugin at jQuerys function namespace
        $.fn[PLUGIN_NAME] = function () {
            var orgArgs = arguments;
            var constructOptions = {};
            var isMethodCall = false;
            var methodArgs = [];
            if (orgArgs[0] !== undefined && typeof orgArgs[0] === 'object') {
                constructOptions = orgArgs[0];
            } else if (typeof orgArgs[0] === 'string') {
                isMethodCall = true;
                methodArgs = Array.prototype.slice.call(orgArgs, 1)
            }
            this.each(function () {
                if (undefined === $.data(this, 'plugin_' + PLUGIN_NAME)) {
                    // First call by this element: create new instance of the plugin
                    $.data(this, 'plugin_' + PLUGIN_NAME, new PLUGIN(this, constructOptions));
                }
                if (isMethodCall === true) {
                    $.data(this, 'plugin_' + PLUGIN_NAME)[orgArgs[0]].apply($.data(this, 'plugin_' + PLUGIN_NAME), methodArgs);
                }
            });
            return this;
        };
    }
})(jQuery, window, document);