Dynamic Multiple Column Unordered Lists

gistfile1.js

( function($){
	var parent_ul_selector      = '#menu-header-navigation',    /* Selector for the nav menu you're working with. */
            child_li_selector       = '.nav-mid-item',              /* Selector for child <li> elements this applies to. */
	    new_div_id_prefix       = 'menu-replace',               /* ID prefix for the newly created <div> elements. */
	    new_div_class           = 'menu-replaced',              /* Class for the newly created <div> elements. */
	    column_selector_prefix  = 'column',                     /* Selector prefix used for newly created <ul> elements. */
	    new_ul_class            = 'sub-menu-replace',           /* Class for newly created <ul> elements. */
	    max_columns             = 3,                            /* Maximum columns, pending available list items */
	    min_column_size         = 2,                            /* Minimum items in the shortest column before # of columns is reduced. */
	    div_count               = 0,                            /* For CSS ID uniqueness */
	    splice_count,
	    first_column_size,                                      /* If an uneven # of items, the leftover is assigned the first column. */
	    current_columns,
	    current_min_column_size,
	    item_count,
	    max_column_size,
	    column_count,
	    items_processed;

	/*  Assuming that each 'parent-ul-selector' contains one or more 'children-li-selector' <li> elements containing
	 *  another child <ul> element that it can parse into columns. */
	$( parent_ul_selector ).children( child_li_selector ).each( function(){
		current_columns = max_columns;
		current_min_column_size = min_column_size;
		item_count = $( this ).children().children().size();            /* Number of <li> elements in current list */
		max_column_size = Math.floor( item_count / current_columns );   /* Max number of <li> elements per column */

		current_min_column_size = item_count < max_column_size ? item_count : current_min_column_size;

		while ( max_column_size < current_min_column_size ){
			current_columns--;
			max_column_size = Math.floor( item_count / current_columns );
			current_min_column_size = 1 == current_columns ? max_column_size : current_min_column_size;
		}

		if ( current_columns > 1 ) {
			first_column_size = item_count - ( ( current_columns - 1 ) * max_column_size );
		}else{
			first_column_size = item_count;
		}

		$(this).append( '<div id="' + new_div_id_prefix + div_count + '" class="' + new_div_class + '"></div>' );
		column_count = 1;   /* For counting & uniqueness */
		items_processed = 0;
		while( column_count <= current_columns ){
			splice_count = 1 == column_count ? first_column_size : max_column_size;
			if ( splice_count >= (item_count - items_processed ) ){ splice_count = ( item_count - items_processed ); }
			$( '#' + new_div_id_prefix + div_count ).append( '<ul id="' + column_selector_prefix + div_count + column_count + '" class="' + column_selector_prefix + column_count + ' ' + new_ul_class + '"></ul>' );
			$( '#' + column_selector_prefix + div_count + column_count ).html($(this).children().children().splice( 0, splice_count ) );
			column_count++;
			items_processed += splice_count;
		}
		div_count++;
	});
} )( jQuery );