(function($) {

    function runTicker(settings) {
        if (settings.firstRun == 1) {
            currentLength = settings.currentLength;
            currentItem = settings.currentItem;
            settings.firstRun = 0;
        }
        if (currentItem == settings.newsItemCounter + 1) {
            currentItem = 0;
        }

        if (currentLength == 0) {
            if (settings.newsLinks[currentItem].length > 0) {
                $(settings.newsList).empty().append('<li><a href="' + settings.newsLinks[currentItem] + '"></a></li>');
            }
            else {
                $(settings.newsList).empty().append('<li></li>');
            }
        }

        if (currentLength % 2 == 0) {
            placeHolder = settings.placeHolder1;
        }
        else {
            placeHolder = settings.placeHolder2;
        }

        if (currentLength <= settings.newsItems[currentItem].length + 1) {
            var tickerText = settings.newsItems[currentItem].substring(0, currentLength);
            if (settings.newsLinks[currentItem].length > 0) {
                $(settings.newsList + ' li a').text(tickerText + placeHolder);
            }
            else {
                $(settings.newsList + ' li').text(tickerText + placeHolder);
            }
            currentLength++;
            setTimeout(function() { runTicker(settings); settings = null; }, settings.tickerRate);
        }
        else {
            if (settings.newsLinks[currentItem].length > 0) {
                $(settings.newsList + ' li a').text(settings.newsItems[currentItem]);
            }
            else {
                $(settings.newsList + ' li').text(settings.newsItems[currentItem]);
            }
            currentLength = 0;
            currentItem++;
            setTimeout(function() { runTicker(settings); settings = null; }, settings.loopDelay);
        }
    }

    $.fn.extend({
        newsTicker: function(settings) {
            settings = jQuery.extend({
                newsList: "#news",
                tickerRate: 80,
                startDelay: 100,
                loopDelay: 3000,
                placeHolder1: " |",
                placeHolder2: "_"
            }, settings);

            var newsItems = new Array();
            var newsLinks = new Array();
            var newsItemCounter = 0;

            $(settings.newsList + ' li').hide();

            $(settings.newsList + ' li').each(function() {
                if ($(this).children('a').length) {
                    newsItems[newsItemCounter] = $(this).children('a').text();
                    newsLinks[newsItemCounter] = $(this).children('a').attr('href');
                }
                else {
                    newsItems[newsItemCounter] = $(this).text();
                    newsLinks[newsItemCounter] = '';
                }
                newsItemCounter++;
            });

            settings = jQuery.extend(settings, {
                newsItems: newsItems,
                newsLinks: newsLinks,
                newsItemCounter: newsItemCounter - 1,
                currentItem: 0,
                currentLength: 0,
                firstRun: 1
            });

            setTimeout(function() { runTicker(settings); settings = null; }, settings.startDelay);
        }

    });


})(jQuery);