getDataAttribute.js

    // return data-* attributes of a node as a dict
    function getDataAttributes(node) {
        
        var vstr = $().jquery.split(".");
        var v0 = parseInt(vstr[0]) || 0, 
            v1 = parseInt(vstr[1]) || 0, 
            v2 = parseInt(vstr[2]) || 0;

        // jQuery >= 1.4.4 has built in op to do this.
        if ( v0 > 1 || (v0 == 1 && v1 > 4) || (v0 == 1 && v1 == 4 && v2 >= 4)) {
            return node.data();
        }

        // for jQuery < 1.4.4, work it out ourselves,
        var d = {}, re_dataAttr = /^data\-(.+)$/;
        $.each(node.get(0).attributes, function(index, attr) {
            if (re_dataAttr.test(attr.nodeName)) {
                var key = attr.nodeName.match(re_dataAttr)[1];
                d[key] = attr.nodeValue;
            }
        });

        // merge in data added/modified via $.fn.data (>1.4 only)
        if (v0 == 1 && v1 == 4)) { $.extend(d, node.data()); }

        return d;
    }

@NickCraver: Lacking experience with javascript, I was just being overly cautious. The worry I had at time of writing was that a straight forward string compare would be invalid once we get double digit version numbers, e.g. "1.10.1" or "1.4.10".

@ZhangYiJiang: I attempted to make it version independent as it's part of a plugin that I plan to use in different projects (one of which were developed against 1.4.2 and not tested with 1.4.4). However, I do see your point.

In retrospect, it does seem rather pointless to include both approaches when one would work for both pre/post 1.4.4 versions.

Many thanks.