7.1. Processes, Macros, Plugins and Packages

The extension mechanism of LithoGraphX relies on these four notions:

Processes
A process implements an algorithm and is what users will see in the end. Within LithoGraphX, each process is an object that can be configured with some user interaction and execute the processing without any interaction.
Plugins
A Plugin is a single file registering one or more processes for use in LithoGraphX. Plugins can be enabled or disabled and if more than one plugin declares the same process, only the first one will be used. Plugins are typically written in C++.
Macros
A macro is a particular plugin that uses a macro language instead of a compiled one. These are different from standard plugins in that they rely on a Macro language being being defined to make the interface with the C++.
Packages
Packages are a distributable set of plugins and macros. Packages can contain the sources or binaries. Source packages need to be compiled, while binary packages are restricted to a given version of LithoGraphX and OS.