davidflanagan.com/javascript5

/**
 * make(tagname, attributes, children):
 *   create an HTML element with specified tagname, attributes and children.
 * 
 * The attributes argument is a JavaScript object: the names and values of its
 * properties are taken as the names and values of the attributes to set.
 * If attributes is null, and children is an array or a string, the attributes 
 * can be omitted altogether and the children passed as the second argument. 
 *
 * The children argument is normally an array of children to be added to 
 * the created element.  If there are no children, this argument can be 
 * omitted.  If there is only a single child, it can be passed directly 
 * instead of being enclosed in an array. (But if the child is not a string
 * and no attributes are specified, an array must be used.)
 * 
 * Example: make("p", ["This is a ", make("b", "bold"), " word."]);
 *
 * Inspired by the MochiKit library (http://mochikit.com) by Bob Ippolito
 */
function make(tagname, attributes, children) {
    
    // If we were invoked with two arguments the attributes argument is
    // an array or string, it should really be the children arguments.
    if (arguments.length == 2 && 
        (attributes instanceof Array || typeof attributes == "string")) {
        children = attributes;
        attributes = null;
    }

    // Create the element
    var e = document.createElement(tagname);

    // Set attributes
    if (attributes) {
        for(var name in attributes) e.setAttribute(name, attributes[name]);
    }

    // Add children, if any were specified.
    if (children != null) {
        if (children instanceof Array) {  // If it really is an array
            for(var i = 0; i < children.length; i++) { // Loop through kids
                var child = children[i];
                if (typeof child == "string")          // Handle text nodes
                    child = document.createTextNode(child);
                e.appendChild(child);  // Assume anything else is a Node
            }
        }
        else if (typeof children == "string") // Handle single text child
            e.appendChild(document.createTextNode(children));
        else e.appendChild(children);         // Handle any other single child
    }

    // Finally, return the element.
    return e;
}

/**
 * maker(tagname): return a function that calls make() for the specified tag.
 * Example: var table = maker("table"), tr = maker("tr"), td = maker("td");
 */
function maker(tag) {
    return function(attrs, kids) {
        if (arguments.length == 1) return make(tag, attrs);
        else return make(tag, attrs, kids);
    }
}