$.fn.space = function() {
	return this.type('space', 1);
};

$.fn.backspace = function() {
	return this.type('backspace', 1);
};

$.fn.type = function(str, nonCharacter, speed) {
	
	var keyCodes = {
			0: 48, 1: 49, 2: 50, 3: 51, 4: 52, 5: 53, 6: 54, 7: 55, 8: 56, 9: 57,
			a: 65, b: 66, c: 67, d: 68, e: 69, f: 70, g: 71, h: 72, i: 73, j: 74,
			k: 75, l: 76, m: 77, n: 78, o: 79, p: 80, q: 81, r: 82, s: 83, t: 84,
			u: 85, v: 86, w: 87, x: 88, y: 89, z: 90,
			'*': 106, '+': 107, '-': 109, '.': 110, ':': 111, ';': 186, '=': 187, ',': 188,
			'–': 189, '.': 190, '/': 191, '`': 192, '(': 219, '\\': 220, '(': 221, '\'': 222
		},
		nonCharacters = {
			'backspace': 8,
			'space': 32
		};	
	
	var triggerEventChain = function(elem, char, options) {

		// trigger keydown
		elem.simulate('keydown', options);
		var keydownPrevented = elem.data('typeevent').isDefaultPrevented();
		
		// if keydown's default action was prevented, also prevent it in keypress
		// (automatically done by browser if triggered by user)
		if(keydownPrevented)
			elem.bind('keypress.typeloop', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); });
		
		elem
			.simulate('keypress', options) // trigger keypress
			.unbind('.typeloop'); // unbind temporary event
		
		// for non gecko we need to actually modify the value
		// (somehow space as keyCode doesn't work programmatically in FF either)
		if((!$.browser.mozilla || options.keyCode == 32) && !keydownPrevented) {
			
			if(char) {
				elem[0].value += char;
			} else {
				switch(options.keyCode) {
					case 32:
						elem[0].value += ' ';
						break;
					case 8:
						elem[0].value = elem[0].value.substr(0, elem[0].value.length-1);
						break;
				}
			}
			
		}
		
		// somehow space as keyCode doesn't work programmatically
		if(options.keyCode == 32) {
			elem[0].value += ' ';
		}	
			
		elem.simulate('keyup', options) // trigger keyup;

	};
	
	var queueEventChain = function() {
		var args = arguments;
		args[0].queue('type', function() {
			triggerEventChain.apply(this, args);
			window.setTimeout(function() { args[0].dequeue('type'); }, speed);
		});
	}
	
	return this.each(function() {
		
		var elem = $(this);
		
		// bind temporary event passing listeners	
		elem
			.bind('keydown.type', function(e) { $.data(this, 'typeevent', e); })
			.bind('keypress.type', function(e) { $.data(this, 'typeevent', e); })
			.bind('keyup.type', function(e) { $.data(this, 'typeevent', e); });
		
		if(nonCharacter) {
			
		} else {
			for (var i=0; i < str.length; i++) {
				
				var charCode = str.charCodeAt(i),
					upperCase = str[i] == str[i].toUpperCase();
					
				if(speed)
					queueEventChain(elem, str[i], { keyCode: keyCodes[str[i].toLowerCase()], charCode: charCode, shiftKey: upperCase });
				else
					triggerEventChain(elem, str[i], { keyCode: keyCodes[str[i].toLowerCase()], charCode: charCode, shiftKey: upperCase });
					
			};
		}
		
		elem.dequeue('type');
		
		// unbind temporary event passing listeners
		elem.unbind('.type');
		
	});
	
};