(function($) {
  $.fn.extend({
	buildData : function() {
	  var data = [];
	  this.children('option').each(function(){
		var $option = $(this);

		if ($option.val() != '') { //ignore empty value options

		  data.push({
			name: $option.html()
			,
			value:$option.val()
		  });
		}
	  });

	  return data;
	},
	select_autocomplete : function(options) {

	  // make sure we have an options object
	  options = options || {};

	  // setup our defaults
	  var defaults = {
		minChars: 0
		,
		width: 310
		,
		matchContains: true
		,
		autoFill: false
		,
		formatItem: function(row, i, max) {
		  return row.name;
		}
		,
		formatMatch: function(row, i, max) {
		  return row.name;
		}
		,
		formatResult: function(row) {
		  return row.name;
		}
	  };

	  options = $.extend(defaults, options);

	  return this.each(function() {

		//stick each of it's options in to an items array of objects with name and value attributes
		var $this = $(this),
		data = [],
		$input = $('<input type="text" />');

		if (this.tagName.toLowerCase() != 'select') {
		  return;
		}


		data = $this.buildData();

		// insert the input after the select
		$this.after($input);

		// add it our data
		options.data = data;

		//make the input box into an autocomplete for the select items
		$input.autocomplete(data, options);

		//make the result handler set the selected item in the select list
		$input.result(function(event, selected_item, formatted) {
		  $($this.find('option[value=' + selected_item.value + ']')[0]).attr('selected', true).parent().trigger('change');
		});

		$this.change(function(){
		  $input.val($this[0].options[$this[0].selectedIndex].text);
		});

		$input.blur(function(){
		  // autocomplete has removed blank options
		  // ensure that if value is removed we select the blank option if available
		  if(this.value == "")
		  {
			$($this.find('option[value=]')[0]).attr('selected', true);
		  }

		  /*   failsafe to ensure text box always represents the value being used in the select
                     *   there are edge cases where if you leave the field part way through the word, or clear the value when no blank option is available
                     *   that force a mismatch between the 2 elements
                     */
		  if(this.value != $this[0].options[$this[0].selectedIndex].text){
			$input.val($this[0].options[$this[0].selectedIndex].text);
		  }
		});

		//set the initial text value of the autocomplete input box to the text node of the selected item in the select control
		$input.val($this[0].options[$this[0].selectedIndex].text);

		$this.bind('flushCache', function() {
		  data = $this.buildData();
		  $input.setOptions({
			'data':data
		  });
		});

		$this.hide();
	  });
	}
  });

})(jQuery);