Plugins#

As of version 4.0, Plover’s functionality can be supplemented by plugins, from the tools available in the GUI to the types of dictionaries supported. Much of Plover’s built-in functionality is implemented using the same plugin system.

See below for more information on how to install and use plugins, and the Plugin Development Guide for more technical information on how to develop and publish plugins.

Installing Plugins#

There are two ways to install plugins:

  • Plugins Manager: Use Plover’s built-in Plugins Manager to browse available Plover plugins by name, selected the desired plugin and click Install. Installed plugins will be available the next time you restart Plover.

  • Command line: If the Plugins Manager is not working, or the plugin you are trying to install has not been published, you can use the command-line plugin installer.

Types of Plugins#

  • Dictionaries: Support other dictionary formats besides Plover’s native JSON format. They can either be other text formats or completely code-driven dictionaries. To use a dictionary plugin, just add a dictionary of the desired format to your list of dictionaries.

    Plover is bundled with the JSON and RTF/CRE dictionary plugins by default.

  • Machines: Support new input protocols, such as the serial input from various professional stenography machines or even MIDI keyboards. To use a machine plugin, set the Machine in your configuration to the desired protocol, and modify the options (if available) according to your specific machine’s configuration.

    Plover comes with the following machine plugins installed:

    • Keyboard

    • Gemini PR

    • TX Bolt

    • Passport

    • ProCAT

    • Stentura

  • Systems: Define new key layouts and theories. This lets Plover support stenographic layouts other than the standard American Stenotype system, such as Michela (plover-michela) or Korean CAS (plover-korean).

    To use a system plugin, set the System in your configuration to the desired system. If a key layout is available for your currently selected machine, you should be able to use the system automatically; otherwise, you will need to set key mappings in the Machine section of your configuration. Plover comes with the standard English Stenotype layout by default.

  • Commands: Allow Plover to run arbitrary commands in response to a stroke. The logic can interact with the stenography engine itself but can also do completely separate tasks. For example, plover-vlc-commands can be used to control the VLC media player with Plover strokes.

    To use a command plugin after it’s been installed, add an entry to your dictionary that translates to {PLOVER:<command_name>} or {PLOVER:<command_name>:<argument>}.

  • Macros and Metas: Add or modify translations in the translator, typically for transforming previously entered text. Macros have access to the entire translation and can perform transformations on the raw stroke input, whereas metas only have access to the translated output.

    To use a meta plugin, add an entry to your dictionary that translates to {:<meta_name>} or {:<meta_name>:<argument>}; for a macro, add an entry that translates to =<macro_name> or =<macro_name>:<argument>.

    Much of Plover’s built-in functionality, such as undoing strokes or formatting currency amounts, is implemented using macros and metas.

  • GUI Plugins: User-facing GUI tools, like the built-in Suggestions and Lookup tools. GUI plugins are automatically loaded at startup, and can be accessed by clicking on its icon on the toolbar.

    Plover comes with the following GUI tools:

    • Add Translation

    • Lookup

    • Paper Tape

    • Suggestions

  • Extensions: Can be used to execute arbitrary code. They are started when Plover starts and can be enabled or disabled in the Plugins section of the configuration. They are ideal for background processes that should run concurrently to the main stenography engine but can be used to perform one-time actions as well.

    For example, the plover-websocket-server extension plugin runs a WebSocket server in the background that publishes a stream of Plover events.