How can I combine JS Object Literal with jQuery?

Question

I'm cleaning up my JS code and want to create namespaces and use JS OO. I found a very god tutorial by Rebecca Murphey on Object Literal pattern.

Now I'm wondering how I can use this to achieve eg jQuery UI autocomplete by writing:

// Pseudocode
$('#input_field').myNameSpace.my_search();

var myNameSpace= {
  my_search : function() {
    $(this).autocomplete({...});
  },

  my_other_function: function() {}
};

Currently I'm using my own plugin:

$('#input_field').my_search();


(function ($) {
  $.fn.my_search = function () {

    $(this).autocomplete({
      minLength: 2,
      source: function( request, response ) {
        jQuery.ajax({
          url: callback_url,
          dataType: "json",
          data: {
            term: request.term
          },
          success: function( data ) {
            response( jQuery.map( data, function( item ) {
              return {
                id: item.id,
                value: item.name,
                name_encoded: item.name_encoded
              }
            }));
          }
        });
      },
      select: function( event, ui ) {
        (...)
      }
    });
  }
})(jQuery);

Any help appreciated.

update
My first example was pretty close and James Kyburz was also very close (but working). I've simplified James's answer to avoid a complicated return data.

(function () {
  // Namspace which also kind of works like an interface
  $.fn.my_name_space = function(opt) {
    this.autosuggest_brand = autosuggest.autosuggest_brand;
    return this;
  }

  var autosuggest = {
    autosuggest_brand : function(action) {
      $(this).autocomplete({
        // Autocomplete stuff here
      });
    },
    som_other_function _ function() {}
  }
})(jQuery);

Answer 1

No, you cannot use namespaces for jQuery plugins (or only very complicated - the context of the selection is lost when you execute the .my_search() method on the namespace object ).

Your current plugin is fine; if you want namespacing then use prefixes like namespace_search .

Answer 2

I am still trying but don't think it's possible

One way would be to wrap everything in a function be it not a namespace...

$.fn.my_namespace = function() {
  var el = this;
  var foo = function() { console.log('foo', el); };
  var bar = function() { console.log('bar', el); };
  return { foo: foo, bar: bar };
}

$('input:first').my_namespace().foo() // foo, [input...]
$('input:first').my_namespace().bar() // bar, [input...]

Unless you need to support old browsers using defineProperty might be a solution

Object.defineProperty($.fn, 'my_namespace', {
  get: function() {
    var el = this;
    return {
      foo: function() { console.log( 'foo', el); },
      bar: function() { console.log( 'bar', el); },
    }
  }
});

$('input:first').my_namespace.foo() // foo, [input...]
$('input:first').my_namespace.bar() // bar, [input...]