Add-on's?

[centip3de]

I've always wondered, how an add-on works... Though I guess I should define what type of add-on I'm using (I see two different types). I'm using the unsupported ad-on, or an add-on for a program that doesn't support add-on's. For instance; say I wanted to make an add-on for Microsoft Word, the only ways I could see doing that, is by either it being open source, in which case you would just go and edit Microsoft Word to accept your add-on. Or by reverse engineering it, and blindly plundering where no man has plundered before. But I assume that there has to be a better way then either of the ones I listed. I mean, unless you go and replace a few DLL's and _then_ install your add-on, I don't see how it can possibly work. Help?

Thanks
~Cent

[Assassian360]

Programs that support Add-ons or Plugins vary a lot in their level of support. Searching on google you will find lots of pages about how they work. But going with your example of Microsoft Word the following link explains how you can create a plugin for it. Once you have developed it and done whatever install is required (I didn't bother reading that far in the tutorial while looking) it will then likely be registered in Word. And so Word will know that when it loads it also has to load the plugin/s. Thus, add-ons and plugins typically won't need you to modify or replace core files of the program if there is the ability to have them.

Edit:
Nearly forgot the link I was talking about.
http://www.add-in-express.com/add-in-net/com-addins.php