Plug-in
<tool> A file containing data used to alter, enhance, or extend the operation of a parent
application program.
One of the first uses of this term was in Silicon Beach's SuperPaint application (late 1980s?) for the
Macintosh. It had a Plug-ins
folder containing different tools and effects.
The
Netscape Navigator World-Wide Web browser supports plug-ins which display or interpret a particular file format or
protocol such as
Shockwave,
RealAudio,
Adobe Systems, Inc. PDF, Corel CMX (
vector graphics).
The file to be displayed is included in a
web page using an EMBED
HTML tag.
Plug-ins, both commercially and indepently authored, can usually be downloaded for free and are stored locally. Plug-ins come in different versions specific to particular operating systems (Microsoft Windows 3.1, 3.2, and
Macintosh are available).
Compare
applet.
Plug-in Plaza (http://www.browserwatch.com/plug-in.html).
PC Mag Plug-ins (http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/IU/plugins/plugins.htm).
