Raphael.fn.group = function() {

	var r = this,
		cfg = (arguments[0] instanceof Array) ? {} : arguments[0],
		items = (arguments[0] instanceof Array) ? arguments[0] : arguments[1];
	
	function Group(cfg, items) {
		var inst,
			set = r.set(items),
			group = r.raphael.vml ? 
				document.createElement("group") : 
				document.createElementNS("http://www.w3.org/2000/svg", "g");
		
		r.canvas.appendChild(group);
		
		function updateScale(transform, scale) {
			var scaleString = 'scale(' + scale + ')';
			if (!transform) {
				return scaleString;
			}
			if (transform.indexOf('scale(') < 0) {
				return transform + ' ' + scaleString;
			}
			return transform.replace(/scale\(-?[0-9]+(\.[0-9][0-9]*)?\)/, scaleString);
		}
		
		function updateRotation(transform, rotation) {
			var rotateString = 'rotate(' + rotation + ')';
			if (!transform) {
				return rotateString;
			}
			if (transform.indexOf('rotate(') < 0) {
				return transform + ' ' + rotateString;
			}
			return transform.replace(/rotate\(-?[0-9]+(\.[0-9][0-9]*)?\)/, rotateString);
		}
		
		inst = {
			scale: function (newScale) {
				var transform = group.getAttribute('transform');
				group.setAttribute('transform', updateScale(transform, newScale));
				return this;
			},
			rotate: function(deg) {
				var transform = group.getAttribute('transform');
				group.setAttribute('transform', updateRotation(transform, deg));
			},
			push: function(item) {
				function pushOneRaphaelVector(it){
					var i;
					if (it.type === 'set') {
						for (i=0; i< it.length; i++) {
							pushOneRaphaelVector(it[i]);
						}
					} else {
						group.appendChild(it.node);
						set.push(it);
					}
				}
				pushOneRaphaelVector(item)
				return this;
			},
			getBBox: function() {
				return set.getBBox();
			},
			type: 'group',
			node: group
		};
				
		return inst;
	}
	
	return Group(cfg, items);

};