Plug-in Framework Overview

The Plug-in Framework enables applications and components to support plug-in functionality. Developers can define extension points and dynamically load plug-ins that provide targeted extensions using this framework.

Version

This documentation covers the version of the Plug-in Framework released with Trados Studio 2026 Release.

Main Concepts and Definitions

This section outlines key concepts and definitions central to the Plug-in Framework.

Hosting Application

The hosting application (or component) provides plug-in capabilities. It defines extension points and uses the Plug-in Framework to discover and load plug-ins and extensions for these points.

Extension Point

An extension point is a location in the application or component that supports adding extensions. It is defined by a .NET attribute, called an extension attribute. All extension attributes derive from the ExtensionAttribute base class.

Extension

An extension is a unit of logic that enhances an application or component through a specific extension point. It is defined by a .NET class within a plug-in assembly and annotated with the extension attribute identifying its target extension point. Typically, an extension class implements an interface required by the targeted extension point.

Plug-in

A plug-in contains one or more extensions. It is a .NET assembly annotated with the assembly-level PluginAttribute, which includes a Name property for the plug-in's friendly name. This attribute indicates to the framework that the assembly is a plug-in.

Plug-in Registry

The plug-in registry (IPluginRegistry) is the central object in the framework. It enables the host application to detect available plug-ins and extensions and create instances of the extensions provided by these plug-ins.

Plug-in Manifest

A plug-in manifest is an XML file containing serialized metadata about a plug-in assembly. It includes:

• The plug-in name, assembly name, and version.
• A list of all extensions defined within the plug-in assembly, along with metadata specified in the extension attributes.