jQuery Plugin to Convert text/plain Name Value Key Pairs to a Hash

hash_submit.js

(function ($) {

    // Keep a copy of the old get.
    var jQuery_get = jQuery.get;

    jQuery.extend({

        get: function( url, data, callback, type, options ) {
            // Shift arguments if data argument was omitted.
            if ( jQuery.isFunction( data ) ) {
                type = callback;
                callback = data;
                data = null;
            }

            var actualCallback = callback;
            var actualType = type;

            if ( type != null && type == "hash" ) {
                actualType = "text";
                actualCallback = function ( text ) {
                    text = text.replace( /^\s\s*/, '' ).replace( /\s\s*$/, '' );

                    var parameters = text.split( /\n/ );

                    var hash = {};

                    for ( var i = 0 ; i < parameters.length ; i++ ) {
                        var pair = parameters[ i ].split( /=/ );

                        var name = unescape( pair[ 0 ] ).toLowerCase();
                        var value = pair.length == 1 ? "" : unescape( pair[ 1 ] );

                        var parts = name.split( /\./ );

                        for ( var j = 0 ; j < parts.length - 1 ; j++ ) {
                            if ( hash[ parts[ j ] ] == null ) hash[ parts[ j ] ] = {};
                            hash = hash[ parts[ j ] ];
                        }
                        
                        hash[ parts[ parts.length - 1 ] ] = value;
                    }

                    var populate = function( hash, paths, builder ) {
                        for ( var i = 0 ; i < paths.length ; i ++ ) {
                            var parts = paths[ i ].split( /\./ );
                            for ( var j = 0; j < parts.length - 1; j ++ ) {
                                if ( hash[ parts[ j ] ] == null ) hash[ parts[ j ] ] = {};
                                hash = hash[ parts[ j ] ];
                            }

                            if ( hash[ parts[ parts.length - 1 ] ] == null )
                                hash[ parts[ parts.length - 1 ] ] = {};
                        }
                    }

                    if ( !options ) options = {};
                    if ( options[ 'hashes' ] ) populate( hash, options[ 'hashes' ], function () { return new Object() } );
                    if ( options[ 'arrays' ] ) populate( hash, options[ 'arrays' ], function () { return new Array() } );

                    callback( hash );

                }
            }

            jQuery_get( url, data, actualCallback, actualType );
        }

    });
})( jQuery );