(function(jQuery) {
	jQuery.extend(jQuery.fn, {
		caret: function (start, end) {
			var elem = this[0];

			if (elem) {							
				// get caret range
				if (typeof start == "undefined") {
					if (elem.selectionStart) {
						start = elem.selectionStart;
						end = elem.selectionEnd;
					}
					else if (document.selection) {
						var val = this.val();
						var range = document.selection.createRange().duplicate();
						range.moveEnd("character", val.length)
						start = (range.text == "" ? val.length : val.lastIndexOf(range.text));

						range = document.selection.createRange().duplicate();
						range.moveStart("character", -val.length);
						end = range.text.length;
					}
				}
				// set caret range
				else {
					var val = this.val();

					if (typeof start != "number") start = -1;
					if (typeof end != "number") end = -1;
					if (start < 0) start = 0;
					if (end > val.length) end = val.length;
					if (end < start) end = start;
					if (start > end) start = end;

					elem.focus();

					if (elem.selectionStart) {
						elem.selectionStart = start;
						elem.selectionEnd = end;
					}
					else if (document.selection) {
						var range = elem.createTextRange();
						range.collapse(true);
						range.moveStart("character", start);
						range.moveEnd("character", end - start);
						range.select();
					}
				}

				return {start:start, end:end};
			}
		}
	});
})(jQuery);