[jQuery] Functions and variables

[Will]

I'm sure this is dealt with somewhere in the jQuery tutorials but I
have not been able to find it.

I'm new to jQuery and used to working with functions and variables so
that I can create reusable code and not have to hard code every event
that could happen.  This is pretty much basic programming.  For
Example,

function action(id) {
     //do something.....
}

Short of using this method of traditionally programming is there a
better way of doing this in jQuery?