Lightweight C++ Plugin Framework

This framework provides a simple yet powerful architecture for building modular C++ applications. It was born from the need for a dependency-light, cross-platform plugin system that avoids the complexity of larger frameworks. The core motivation is to enable true "drop-in" extensibility: new functionality can be added by placing a plugin's shared library and manifest file into the application's executable folder, with no need to recompile the core application.

The architecture's power is rooted in the separation of interfaces and implementations. A plugin can define an abstract service, which acts as a contract or an "extension point" for a certain capability. Other, independent plugins can then provide concrete service implementations that fulfill this contract. For example, a core plugin could define an abstract "ImageEffect" service, and then separate plugins could implement "GaussianBlur", "Sharpen", and "Invert" effects. This promotes a highly decoupled system where extension points are clearly defined and independently implemented.

This approach is ideal for a wide range of software, from desktop tools like image editors and digital audio workstations to game engines that require custom behaviors. Looking forward, the design is well-suited for modern deployment scenarios like WebAssembly (WASM). An application compiled to WASM could dynamically load plugins as separate .wasm modules, enabling high-performance, extensible web applications where features are loaded on demand.

Dependencies

flowchart
  subgraph "Build- and run-time"
    Boost
  end
  subgraph "Build-time only"
    direction TB
    CMake
    vcpkg
  end

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This framework leverages several external libraries to provide its core functionalities. Dependencies are categorized by when they are needed: during compilation (build-time) or when the application is running (run-time).

Build-time only

These dependencies are crucial for setting up the development environment and compiling the project:

• CMake: The cross-platform build system used to configure and generate the project builds (i.e. core and plugin shared libraries as well as main executable).
• vcpkg: A C++ package manager used to install and manage library dependencies. The required libraries are listed in the vcpkg.json file in the root directory.

Build- and run-time

These libraries are essential both for building the project and for its operation at runtime:

• Boost: A collection of high-quality, peer-reviewed C++ libraries. This framework uses Boost for parsing XML files (with the help of boost::property_tree).

Tutorials

flowchart LR
  1["00<br/>Getting<br/>started"] --> 2["01<br/>Developer Your<br/>First Plugin"] --> 3["02<br/>Understand<br/>The Core"]

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This project includes step-by-step tutorials to help you get started with the framework.

• 00 - Getting Started: This guide walks you through cloning the repository, setting up the development environment on Windows with Visual Studio 2026, and building and running the project for the first time. It covers the automatic dependency installation via vcpkg and how to launch the main application.

• 01 - Develop Your First Plugin: Learn how to create a new plugin from scratch. This tutorial demonstrates how to build a MultiplierService that implements an existing abstract service, add it to the root CMakeLists.txt, create its manifest file, and integrate it into the main application.

• 02 - Understand The Core: Dive into the fundamental components of the framework, understanding the roles of the Registry, Plugin, Service, and Application classes and how they interact to provide a robust and extensible architecture.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our CONTRIBUTING.md for details on how to get started.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.