

Applications support plug-ins for many reasons. Some of the main reasons include:
Specific examples of applications and why they use plug-ins:
- Email clients use plug-ins to decrypt and encrypt email (Pretty Good Privacy)
- Graphics software use plug-ins to support file formats and process images (Adobe Photoshop)
- Media players use plug-ins to support file formats and apply filters (foobar2000, GStreamer, Quintessential, VST, Winamp, XMMS)
- Microsoft Office uses plug-ins (better known as add-ins) to extend the capabilities of its application by adding custom commands and specialized features
- Packet sniffers use plug-ins to decode packet formats (OmniPeek)
- Remote sensing applications use plug-ins to process data from different sensor types (Opticks)
- Software development environments use plug-ins to support programming languages (Eclipse, jEdit, MonoDevelop)
- Venue, a digital mixing console architecture developed by Digidesign and owned by Avid Technology, allows third party plug-ins
- Web browsers use plug-ins to play video and presentation formats (Flash, QuickTime, Microsoft Silverlight, 3DMLW)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Typical list of Web Browser Plug-ins In computing, a plug-in (or plugin) is a set of software components that adds specific capabilities to a larger software application. If supported, plug-ins enable customizing the functionality of an application. For example, plug-ins are commonly used in web browsers to play video, scan for viruses, and display new file types. Well-known plug-ins examples include Adobe Flash Player and QuickTime.
Add-on is often considered the general term comprising snap-ins, plug-ins, extensions, and themes.[1]
[edit] Purpose and examples
Applications support plug-ins for many reasons. Some of the main reasons include:
Specific examples of applications and why they use plug-ins:
- Email clients use plug-ins to decrypt and encrypt email (Pretty Good Privacy)
- Graphics software use plug-ins to support file formats and process images (Adobe Photoshop)
- Media players use plug-ins to support file formats and apply filters (foobar2000, GStreamer, Quintessential, VST, Winamp, XMMS)
- Microsoft Office uses plug-ins (better known as add-ins) to extend the capabilities of its application by adding custom commands and specialized features
- Packet sniffers use plug-ins to decode packet formats (OmniPeek)
- Remote sensing applications use plug-ins to process data from different sensor types (Opticks)
- Software development environments use plug-ins to support programming languages (Eclipse, jEdit, MonoDevelop)
- Venue, a digital mixing console architecture developed by Digidesign and owned by Avid Technology, allows third party plug-ins
- Web browsers use plug-ins to play video and presentation formats (Flash, QuickTime, Microsoft Silverlight, 3DMLW)
[edit] Mechanism
Example Plug-In Framework
As shown in the figure, the host application provides services which the plug-in can use, including a way for plug-ins to register themselves with the host application and a protocol for the exchange of data with plug-ins. Plug-ins depend on the services provided by the host application and do not usually work by themselves. Conversely, the host application operates independently of the plug-ins, making it possible for end-users to add and update plug-ins dynamically without needing to make changes to the host application.[1][2]
Open application programming interfaces (APIs) provide a standard interface, allowing third parties to create plug-ins that interact with the host application. A stable API allows third-party plug-ins to continue to function as the original version changes and to extend the life-cycle of obsolete applications. The Adobe Photoshop and After Effects plug-in APIs have become a standard[3] and competing applications such as Corel Paint Shop Pro have adopted them.concats 00923224479031