A jQuery templating plugin - created for demonstration purposes.

$("#sometmpl")
    .tmpl( dataObject ) // Returns a LI with all the data filled in
    .appendTo("ul");

$("#sometmpl")
    .tmpl( arrayOfDataObjects ) // Returns multiple LIs with data filled in
    .appendTo("ul");

// Appends one LI, filled with data, into the UL
$("ul").append( tmpl, dataObject );

// Appends multiple LI, filled with data, into the UL
$("ul").append( tmpl, arrayOfDataObjects );