Plug-in Development Environment (PDE)

A Plug-in Development Environment (PDE) is a specialized software setup that helps developers create, test, and manage plug-ins—add-on components that extend the functionality of larger applications, like an integrated development environment (IDE). It provides the necessary tools, libraries, and frameworks needed to build these extensions efficiently, ensuring they integrate smoothly with the host application. Essentially, a PDE streamlines the development process for plug-ins, making it easier to add new features or customize existing software, without modifying the core program itself.