another jquery star rating plugin

jquery.rater.js

// JavaScript Document
/*************************************************
Star Rating System
First Version: 23 June 2010 
Author: Kamil Selwa
Inspriation: http://php.scripts.psu.edu/rja171/widgets/rating.php

Usage: $('#rating').rating( {url:'www.url.to.post.com', curvalue:3});

options
    url: post changes to
    callback: function - can be used for ajax calls

Plugin works with elements where label encapsulate intput and span element:
    <label for="star_1" title="horrible"><span>horrible</span><input type="radio" name="rate" id="star_1" value="1" /></label>

requires
    rating_star.png
    
---------- CSS -----------
fieldset.rate {  float: left; background: #ededed; margin: 20px 0 } 
.rate input, .rate button  { display: none }
.rate legend { display: inline; position: absolute; float: right; margin-top: -15px; color: #999 }
.rate label {
        cursor: pointer;
        display: block; float: left;  
    background: transparent url( ../images/rating_star.png) -3px no-repeat;
        width: 16px; height: 16px;
}
.rate label span { position: absolute; background: white; margin-top: -15px; display: none;  }
.rate .on { background-color: #FF3D00 }
.rate .hvr { background-color: orange }
.rate .add { background-color: #9EDF00 }

************************************************/

jQuery.fn.rating = function( options ) {
    
    var container = $(this);
    var stars = container.find("input[type=radio]");
   
    var tform = ( container.attr("method") )? container: container.parents("form")
    
    var settings = {
        url       : tform.action, // post changes to 
        //inirating  : container.find("input:checked").val(),  // number of selected stars
        maxvalue  : stars.size(),
        class_on: "on",
        class_hvr: "hvr",
        class_add: "add"
    };
    if(options) {
       jQuery.extend(settings, options);
       callback = options.callback
    };
    
    tform.find("button").hide()
    
   //console.log( options.callback )
   function set_class( index, cls_name ) {
      for (var i=0; i < stars.length; i++) {
          if ( i <  index) {
              $(stars[i]).parent().addClass(cls_name);
          } else {
              $(stars[i]).parent().removeClass(cls_name);
          }
      }
   }
   
   function get_checked_index() {
       checked = 0
       for (var i=0; i < stars.length; i++) {
           if ( $(stars[i]).attr('checked') ) {   
               checked = i;
           }
       }
       return checked
   }
   
   if  (container.find("input:checked").length > 0) {
       set_class(get_checked_index() + 1, settings.class_on )
   }
   // set actions
   var j = 1
   stars.each( function( s ){
        var voteindex = j;
        $(this).parent().hover(function() { //On hover...
            set_class( voteindex, settings.class_hvr )
        } , function() { //on hover out...
            stars.parent().removeClass( settings.class_hvr );
        }).mousedown(function(e) {
            set_class( voteindex, settings.class_add )
            // callback cab be used for ajax call
            if (settings.callback != undefined){
                var input = $(this).find("input");
                //settings.callback( container, input.attr("name"), input.val() )
                settings.callback( e, input.attr("name"), input.val() )
            } else {
                container.parents("form").submit();
            }
        });
        j++;
    })
    return this;   
}

function set_message(message) {
    var msg_box = $("#messages");
    msg_box.html( "<li>"+ message + "</li>" )
    if ( msg_box.css("display") == "none" ) {
        msg_box.slideDown(400).delay(4000).fadeOut()
    } else {
        msg_box.delay(4000).fadeOut()
    }
}

function send_ajax_votes(ele, name, val) {
    var form = $(ele.target).parents("form");
    var post_url = form.attr("action");
	//console.log(ele)
	$.ajax({
		url: post_url,
		type: "GET",
		dataType: 'json',
		cache: false,
		data: form.serialize( ) + "&"+name+"="+val,
		success: function(respond) {
		    if (respond.message){
            set_message(respond.message)
        }
		}
	});
}