Question

If I have a jQuery plugin using the normal standard of:

(function( $ ){
  var methods = {
    init : function( options ) {
      var defaults = {
      }
      var options =  $.extend(defaults, options);
      return this.each(function(){
        var returnValue = myUniversalFunction();
      });
    },
    test : function( options ) {
      var defaults = {
      }
      var options =  $.extend(defaults, options);
      return this.each(function(){
        var returnValue = myUniversalFunction();
      });
    }
  };
  $.fn.jPlugin = function( method ) {
    if ( methods[method] ) {
      return methods[method].apply( this, Array.prototype.slice.call( arguments, 1 ));
    } else if ( typeof method === 'object' || ! method ) {
      return methods.init.apply( this, arguments );
    } else {
      $.error( 'Method ' +  method + ' does not exist on jQuery.tooltip' );
    }    

  };
})( jQuery );

Where would I put a function that could be accessed within both the init and test methods but not making it available to outside of the plugin itself?

Answer 1

Put it on line 2, just after (function( $ ){, like this:

(function( $ ){
    var inner_function = function() {
        // ...
    };
    var methods = {
        // ...
    };
    $.fn.jPlugin = function( method ) {
        // ...
    };
})( jQuery );

The function inner_function will be available anywhere within (function($){ ... })(jQuery); but not outside it.