How to save jQuery object in a cookie?

Why is the jQuery object constructed as a local copy inside a Module pattern inside a self-executing function?

• This is true for at least for 1.4 and 1.5. Paul Irish explains how it works here: but he doesnt explain why. What are the benefits of this pretty complicated object construction? What options are there?

• Answer:

  Originally, jQuery was defined as a traditional function expression that returned an instance of the jQuery.fn.init() constructor. As the library and it's requirements grew and code base demanded further compartmentalization and privatization of logic the Module Pattern function expression was added to wrap up this logic and allow a clean return of the jQuery() function.