JQuery - Widget Public Methods

Question

If I create a JQuery widget (code example below), and then define a \"public\" method, is there any other way to call the method other than using the following form?

Answer 1

jQuery UI widgets use jQuery's $.data(...) method to indirectly associate the widget class with the DOM element. The preferred way to call a method on the widget is exactly what was described by Max...

$('#list').list('publicMethod');

...but if you want to field a return value, you'll have better luck calling it this way, via the data method:

$('#list').data('list').publicMethod();

However, using the second way side-steps the whole jQuery UI widget pattern, and should probably be avoided if possible.