jQuery.jqURL = {

    url: // returns a string
	function(args) {
	    args =
			jQuery.extend({
			    win: window
			},
			args);
	    return args.win.location.href;
	},

    loc:
	function(urlstr, args) {
	    args =
			jQuery.extend({
			    win: window,
			    w: 500,
			    h: 500,
			    wintype: '_top'
			},
			args);

	    if (!args.t) {
	        args.t = screen.height / 2 - args.h / 2;
	    }
	    if (!args.l) {
	        args.l = screen.width / 2 - args.w / 2;
	    }
	    if (args['wintype'] == '_top') {
	        args.win.location.href = urlstr;
	    }
	    else {
	        open(
			urlstr,
			args['wintype'],
			'width=' + args.w + ',height=' + args.h + ',top=' + args.t + ',left=' + args.l + ',scrollbars,resizable'
			);

	    }
	    return;
	},

    qs:
	function(args) {
	    args = jQuery.extend({
	        ret: 'string',
	        win: window
	    },
		args);

	    if (args['ret'] == 'string') {
	        return jQuery.jqURL.url({ win: args.win }).split('?')[1];
	    }

	    else if (args['ret'] == 'object') {

	        var qsobj = {};
	        var thisqs = jQuery.jqURL.url({ win: args.win }).split('?')[1];

	        if (thisqs) {
	            var pairs = thisqs.split('&');
	            for (i = 0; i < pairs.length; i++) {
	                var pair = pairs[i].split('=');
	                qsobj[pair[0]] = pair[1];
	            }
	        }
	        return qsobj;
	    }
	},

    strip:
	function(args) {
	    args = jQuery.extend({
	        keys: '',
	        win: window
	    },
			args);

	    if (jQuery.jqURL.url().indexOf('?') == -1) { // no query string found
	        return jQuery.jqURL.url({ win: args.win });
	    }
	    // if no keys passed in, just return url with no querystring
	    else if (!args.keys) {
	        return jQuery.jqURL.url({ win: args.win }).split('?')[0];
	    }
	    else { //return stripped url

	        var qsobj = jQuery.jqURL.qs({ ret: 'object', win: args.win });  // object with key/value pairs		
	        var counter = 0;
	        var url = jQuery.jqURL.url({ win: args.win }).split('?')[0] + '?';
	        var amp = '';

	        for (var key in qsobj) {
	            if (args.keys.indexOf(key) == -1) {
	                // pass test, add this key/value to string
	                amp = (counter) ? '&' : '';
	                url = url + amp + key + '=' + qsobj[key];
	                counter++;
	            }
	        }
	        return url;
	    }
	},

    get:
	function(key, args) {
	    args = jQuery.extend({
	        win: window
	    }, args);

	    qsobj = jQuery.jqURL.qs({ ret: 'object', win: args.win });
	    return qsobj[key];
	},

    set:
	function(hash, args) {
	    args = jQuery.extend({
	        win: window
	    }, args);

	    // get current querystring
	    var qsobj = jQuery.jqURL.qs({ ret: 'object', win: args.win });

	    // add/set values from hash
	    for (var i in hash) {
	        qsobj[i] = hash[i];
	    }

	    var qstring = '';
	    var counter = 0;
	    var amp = '';

	    // turn qsobj into string
	    for (var k in qsobj) {
	        amp = (counter) ? '&' : '';
	        qstring = qstring + amp + k + '=' + qsobj[k];
	        counter++;
	    }
	    return jQuery.jqURL.strip({ win: args.win }) + '?' + qstring;
	}

};