View source for Category:Plugins

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plugin Plugins] add new functionality to an application, such as viewing special graphical formats or playing multimedia content in a web browser. A plugin works within the browser, as opposed to a [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Gecko_Plugin_API_Reference/Plug-in_Basics#Plug-ins_and_Helper_Applications helper application] that is started from the browser but runs as a separate application.  Plugins also differ from [[Installing extensions|extensions]], which modify or add to existing functionality.  Common uses of plugins on the web include displaying video in the browser, games, and music playback. Widely used plugins include [[Java]], [[Flash]], [[Quicktime]], and [[Adobe Reader]].  

A plugin in the context of Mozilla-based applications is a binary component that, when registered with a browser, can display content that the browser itself can't display natively. The plugin API used in Firefox and many other browsers, including Opera and Safari, is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPAPI NPAPI].

A good source of information about plugins for end users is [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/ PluginDoc].  Additional documentation can be found at the [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Plugins Mozilla Developer Center], including a comprehensive [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Gecko_Plugin_API_Reference NPAPI reference].
  
'''See also''':  [[:Category:Websites]]

[[Category:Firefox]] [[Category:Mozilla Suite]]