jQuery.fn.populate = function(obj, options) {


        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        // JSON conversion function

                // convert
                        function parseJSON(obj, path)
                        {
                                // prepare
                                        path = path || '';

                                // iteration (objects / arrays)
                                        if(obj == undefined)
                                        {
                                        }
                                        else if(obj.constructor == Object)
                                        {
                                                for(var prop in obj)
                                                {
                                                        var name        = path + (path == '' ? prop : '[' +prop+ ']');
                                                        parseJSON(obj[prop], name);
                                                }
                                        }

                                        else if(obj.constructor == Array)
                                        {
                                                for(var i = 0; i < obj.length; i++)
                                                {
                                                        var index        = options.useIndices ? i : '';
                                                        index                = options.phpNaming ? '[' +index+']' : index;
                                                        var name        = path + index;
                                                        parseJSON(obj[i], name);
                                                }
                                        }

                                // assignment (values)
                                        else
                                        {
                                                // if the element name hasn't yet been defined, create it as a single value
                                                if(arr[path] == undefined)
                                                {
                                                        arr[path] = obj;
                                                }

                                                // if the element name HAS been defined, but it's a single value, convert to an array and add the new value
                                                else if(arr[path].constructor != Array)
                                                {
                                                        arr[path] = [arr[path], obj];
                                                }

                                                // if the element name HAS been defined, and is already an array, push the single value on the end of the stack
                                                else
                                                {
                                                        arr[path].push(obj);
                                                }
                                        }

                        };


        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        // population functions

                function debug(str)
                {
                        if(window.console && console.log)
                        {
                                console.log(str);
                        }
                }

                function getElementName(name)
                {
                        if (!options.phpNaming)
                        {
                                name = name.replace(/\[\]$/,'');
                        }
                        return name;
                }

                function populateElement(parentElement, name, value)
                {
                        var selector                = options.identifier == 'id' ? '#' + name : '[' +options.identifier+ '="' +name+ '"]';
                        var element                = jQuery(selector, parentElement);
                        value                        = value.toString();
                        value                        = value == 'null' ? '' : value;
                        element.html(value);
                }

                function populateFormElement(form, name, value)
                {

                        // check that the named element exists in the form
                                var name        = getElementName(name); // handle non-php naming
                                var element        = form[name];
                                if(element == undefined)
                                {
                                        debug('No such element as ' + name);
                                        return false;
                                }

                        // debug options
                                if(options.debug)
                                {
                                        _populate.elements.push(element);
                                }

                        // now, place any single elements in an array.
                        // this is so that the next bit of code (a loop) can treat them the
                        // same as any array-elements passed, ie radiobutton or checkox arrays,
                        // and the code will just work

                                elements = element.type == undefined && element.length ? element : [element];


                        // populate the element correctly

                                for(var e = 0; e < elements.length; e++)
                                {

                                        var element = elements[e];

                                        switch(element.type || element.tagName)
                                        {

                                                case 'radio':
                                                        // use the single value to check the radio button
                                                        element.checked = (element.value != '' && value.toString().toLowerCase() == element.value.toLowerCase());

                                                case 'checkbox':
                                                        // depends on the value.
                                                        // if it's an array, perform a sub loop
                                                        // if it's a value, just do the check

                                                        var values = value.constructor == Array ? value : [value];
                                                        for(var j = 0; j < values.length; j++)
                                                        {
                                                                element.checked |= element.value == values[j];
                                                        }

                                                        //element.checked = (element.value != '' && value.toString().toLowerCase() == element.value.toLowerCase());
                                                        break;

                                                case 'select-multiple':
                                                        var values = value.constructor == Array ? value : [value];
                                                        for(var i = 0; i < element.options.length; i++)
                                                        {
                                                                for(var j = 0; j < values.length; j++)
                                                                {
                                                                        element.options[i].selected |= element.options[i].value == values[j];
                                                                }
                                                        }
                                                        break;

                                                case 'select':
                                                case 'select-one':
                                                        element.value        = value.toString().toLowerCase() || value;
                                                        break;

                                                case 'text':
                                                case 'button':
                                                case 'textarea':
                                                case 'submit':
                                                default:
                                                        value                        = value == null ? '' : value;
                                                        element.value        = value;
                                        }

                                }

                }



        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        // options & setup

                // exit if no data object supplied
                        if (obj === undefined)
                        {
                                return this;
                        };

                // options
                        var options = jQuery.extend
                        (
                                {
                                        phpNaming:                false,
                                        phpIndices:                false,
                                        resetForm:                true,
                                        identifier:                'id',
                                        debug:                        false
                                },
                                options
                        );

                        if(options.phpIndices)
                        {
                                options.phpNaming = true;
                        }

        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        // convert hierarchical JSON to flat array

                        var arr        = [];
                        parseJSON(obj);

                        if(options.debug)
                        {
                                _populate =
                                {
                                        arr:                arr,
                                        obj:                obj,
                                        elements:        []
                                }
                        }

        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        // main process function

                this.each
                (
                        function()
                        {

                                // variables
                                        var tagName        = this.tagName.toLowerCase();
                                        var method        = tagName == 'form' ? populateFormElement : populateElement;

                                // reset form?
                                        if(tagName == 'form' && options.resetForm)
                                        {
                                                this.reset();
                                        }

                                // update elements
                                        for(var i in arr)
                                        {
                                                method(this, i, arr[i]);
                                        }
                        }
                );


return this;
};