jQuery alert() beautify and more user friendly

jquery-alert-hack.js

/*
* This function replaces the javascript native alert() function.
* I know that by convention it's not a good practice, but if you want to
* follow strict stuff, just declare the function with another name and
* call it as that.
*
* jQuery.js is required (http://jquery.com)
*
* The function can be called like this:
*  For static (not auto-hide) alert bar:
*    alert("my message <span>that supports html too</span>")
*
*  For auto-hide after certain time:
*    alert("the message",true)   // for automatic timeout (2000 by default)
*    alert("a messageee",4000)   // with custom timeout in ms
*
*/
alert = function(what,auto){
    // if the element hasn't been appended to the body element
    if($("#alert_bar").length==0){
        // customize the bar with css
        var bar = $("<div/>").css({
            'display':'none',
            'position':'fixed',
            'top':'0px',
            'left':'0px',
            'zIndex':'50',
            'width':'100%',
            'margin':'0px',
            'padding':'5px auto 9px auto',
            'textAlign':'center',
            'fontSize':'14px',
            'background':'#eee',
            'color':'black',
            'borderBottom':'solid 1px #333'
        })
        bar.attr("id","alert_bar")
        $('body').prepend(bar)
    }
    // close button
    $("#alert_bar").html('<div style="text-align:right;font-size:10px;color:red"><span style="cursor:pointer" onclick="$(\'#alert_bar\').slideUp()">[cerrar]</span></div><div>'+what+'</div>')
    $("#alert_bar").slideDown()
    if(auto){
        if(typeof auto == 'boolean')
            auto = 2000
        window.setTimeout(function(){
            $("#alert_bar").slideUp()
        },auto)
    }
}

Mike, it is me from the future 9 years after. It has been a lot. Recently some weird stuff happened and that but that is not the point. The point is that you should wrap all your nasty shit into a (function(){ /* YOURSHIT */})();, and put everything in a window.onload. That, at least. Seeya! Silla.