jquery – is not a function error

This problem is “best” solved by using an anonymous function to pass-in the jQuery object thusly:

The Anonymous Function Looks Like:

<script type="text/javascript">
    (function($) {
        // You pass-in jQuery and then alias it with the $-sign
        // So your internal code doesn't change
    })(jQuery);
</script>

This is JavaScript’s method of implementing (poor man’s) ‘Dependency Injection’ when used alongside things like the ‘Module Pattern’.

So Your Code Would Look Like:
Of course, you might want to make some changes to your internal code now, but you get the idea.

<script type="text/javascript">
    (function($) {
        $.fn.pluginbutton = function(options) {
            myoptions = $.extend({ left: true });
            return this.each(function() {
                var focus = false;
                if (focus === false) {
                    this.hover(function() {
                        this.animate({ backgroundPosition: "0 -30px" }, { duration: 0 });
                        this.removeClass('VBfocus').addClass('VBHover');
                    }, function() {
                        this.animate({ backgroundPosition: "0 0" }, { duration: 0 });
                        this.removeClass('VBfocus').removeClass('VBHover');
                    });
                }
                this.mousedown(function() {
                    focus = true
                    this.animate({ backgroundPosition: "0 30px" }, { duration: 0 });
                    this.addClass('VBfocus').removeClass('VBHover');
                }, function() {
                    focus = false;
                    this.animate({ backgroundPosition: "0 0" }, { duration: 0 });
                    this.removeClass('VBfocus').addClass('VBHover');
                });
            });
        }
    })(jQuery);
</script>