Quickstart jQuery plugin boilerplate.

inheritance.js

// Example of creation new plugin based on this one.
(function ($) {
    var pluginName = 'myBoilerplate';
    var parent = $.fn.boilerplate;
    var defaults = {};

    var Constructor = function (element, options) {
        this.element = element;

        this._settings = $.extend({}, defaults, options);
        this._defaults = defaults;
        this._name = pluginName;

        // Kind of inheritance. Can be omitted.
        // Or this.initialize() can be overwriten for this instance.
        parent.Constructor.prototype.initialize.apply(this, arguments);
    };

    // Define all public methods.
    var methods = {
        message: function (msg) {
            console.log(msg);

            return this;
        }
    };

    $.extend(Constructor.prototype, methods);

    parent.buildPlugin(pluginName, Constructor);
}(jQuery || window.jQuery));

jquery.fn.boilerplate.js

(function ($) {
    // Unique name of plugin.
    var pluginName = 'boilerplate';
    var defaults = {};

    // Service function.
    var buildPlugin = function (pluginName, Constructor) {
        if (typeof $.fn[pluginName] !== 'function') {
            $.fn[pluginName] = function (options, params) {
                return this.each(function () {
                    var pluginInstance = $.data(this, pluginName);
                    var methodName, method;

                    if (!pluginInstance) {
                        $.data(this, pluginName, new Constructor(this, options));
                    } else {
                        methodName = options;
                        method = pluginInstance[methodName];

                        if (typeof methodName === 'string' && typeof method === 'function') {
                            method(params);
                        } else {
                            throw new Error('jQuery.fn.' + pluginName + ': No such method "' + options + '"');
                        }
                    }
                });
            };

            // Export Constructor to allow inherit from the plugin.
            if (Constructor) {
                $.fn[pluginName].Constructor = Constructor;
            }
            $.prototype[pluginName].buildPlugin = buildPlugin;

            return $.fn[pluginName];
        } else {
            throw new Error('jQuery.fn.' + pluginName + ': is already defined.');
        }
    };

    var Constructor = function (element, options) {
        this.element = element;

        this._settings = $.extend({}, defaults, options);
        this._defaults = defaults;
        this._name = pluginName;

        if (typeof this.initialize === 'function') {
            this.initialize();
        }
    };

    // Define all public methods.
    var methods = {
        initialize: function () {
            return this;
        }
    };

    $.extend(Constructor.prototype, methods);

    // Magic.
    buildPlugin(pluginName, Constructor);
}(jQuery || window.jQuery));

usage.js

var $div = $('<div></div>');
$div.myBoilerplate();

var instance = $div.data('myBoilerplate');
instance.message('Hello world!');

// Below does the same but bit safer (checks if plugin has given method).

$('<div></div>').myBoilerplate().myBoilerplate('message', 'Hello world!');