Powertoys: Plugin store for PowerToys

[ghost]

📝 Provide a description of the new feature

_What is the expected behavior of the proposed feature? What is the scenario this would be used?_

This will allow the users to download and install plugins for PowerToys from the PowerToys settings user interface

---

If you'd like to see this feature implemented, add a 👍 reaction to this post.

[ghost]

Kind of related to #3200

[enricogior]

Are you referring to PT Run plug-ins?

[ghost]

@enricogior

Well I don't know anything about PT plugins. I have heard about them but it would be more accessible if we have something like a plugin store. When I think of plugins I think new features like more powertoys that are not there by default and new features to existing powertoys. Not just PT Run

[ghost]

Kind of like the extension marketplace in Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code

[ghost]

I saw a PT plugin kind of thing in GitHub: khanhas/fancytiling

The installation process for it seems difficult compared to having a plugin store that will do all the work for you

[enricogior]

We don't have any plans for plugins in PT, and given the way PT modules work, plug-ins don't fit in the PT architecture.

[Aaron-Junker]

So should I close this issue?

Yes

[ghost]

@enricogior Is it possible to modify existing module's dll file?

[ghost]

That's how the 'plugin' that I mentioned above works

NOTE: I have not tried using that plugin

[ghost]

@Aaron-Junker please wait a minute before we close this (hopefully not)

[ghost]

• Download fancyzones.dll
• Save it to C:\Program Files\PowerToys\modules\FancyZones. Since PowerToys has not supported custom module name so just paste and replace the original fancyzones.dll. Back it up if you want. Note: Your path to PowerToys folder might be different
• Restart PowerToys

This is the setup instructions for that 'plugin'.
If we make a plugin store that would replace the original dll file, I think it would work.

BTW, I haven't tried using this plugin and I don't know whether this will work

[ghost]

@enricogior @Aaron-Junker

If this ☝️ method is not possible to implement then I will close the issue

[enricogior]

Is it possible to modify existing module's dll file?

In theory is possible but in general it won't work in the current architecture.

If we make a plugin store that would replace the original dll file, I think it would work.

We don't have any plan to support such a feature, it would open the door to so many problems that would basically kill the project. We are a small team and a plug-in approach would require to rewrite a significant amount of code and it will be very complicated to support it. Can you imagine just the waste of time to try to replicate issues that may occur only with a particular list of plug-ins?
We only support the one version for each module, and only the latest PT release with all the latest modules.

[ghost]

Ok. That makes sense