Using jQuery $.extend method to change DOM attributes..

$extend_dom.js

// 1. DOUBLE BAD!!

    $("#myLink").attr("name","srhyne");
    $("#myLink").attr("href","http://stephenrhyne.com";
    $("myLink").html("stephenrhyne.com");

// 2. IN MY OPINION STILL VERY BAD.. 

    $("#mylink")
        .attr("name","srhyne")
        .attr("href","http://stephenrhyne.com")
        .html("stephenrhyne.com")

// 3. NOT AS UBER JQUERY DEVELOPER COOL BUT BETTER! (You don't need $ for everything!)
       
    var myLink = $("#myLink")[0];
        myLink.name = "srhyne";
        myLink.href = "http://stephenrhyne.com";
        myLink.html = ("stephenrhyne.com");

// 4. I link using just plain DOM scripting in #3. but I hate not being able to chain. 
//    I like this much better.. 


$.fn.domExtend = function(obj){
	$.extend(this[0],obj);
	return this;
    };
$(function(){
	$("#myLink").domExtend({
		name : "srhyne",
		href : "http://stephenhyne.com",
		innerHTML : "stephenrhyne.com"
	});
});

// 5. Of course this is the same as going like this.. 

     var myLink = $("#myLink")[0],
         changes = {
             name : "srhyne",
		href : "http://stephenhyne.com",
		innerHTML : "stephenrhyne.com"
         };
      $.extend(myLink,changes);

// 4 AND 5 ARE acceptable to me. 

//<a href="http://test.com" name="test" id="myLink" class="thisLink">Change ME!</a>