Plugin support and/or modular steam client features.

[livinggg]

My initial thought was replacing the audio player with a spotify player or some other custom jukebox software that could be loaded into a plugin.

Also for replacing or expanding client features such as friends and chat, this could have a pigin plugin or perhaps whatsapp, anything really.

Some other examples would be plugins for download manager, rendering engine, library layouts and themes, screen capture, overlay customization, 3rd party game networks, store plugin for deals on other sites, or anything that could utilize an api, etc...

This would give people more control over the client and make possible entirely custom experiences.

Sorry if this was already suggested, all comments are welcome.

[eram]

if the api allows it you or someone else can make plugins.

[livinggg]

I guess what I'm wishing is valve's blessing/involvement in some official client enhancing plugins, or to turn existing features into plugins, and then add those plus new ones to a curated list somewhere in the store or on the site.

With a few devs and services on board, there could be a cool initial list. It could be a thing.

Of course anyone can make their own plugins, there should be a list for those also.

Everyone seems to have their own personal gripes about the client and this I believe would please everyone.

[eram]

steam/valve dont need to make plugins they already make the native client

plugins are for modders

[livinggg]

"need" is such a decisive word, I don't like it, anyway...lol

The client would still retain the same features, it would just be installed in a different way, a way in which would make it easier to customize the client.

For instance, you can pick the core client during install, with all the default features selected, but you could add additional payloads or replace default ones.

Like a mr. potato-client.

The core could be light weight and stripped down to the bare bones version that so many wish for.

[livinggg]

Originally posted by eram:

plugins are for modders

This is not true. I am generally not a modder. I would merely like to integrate spotify into my steam client (maybe some other things). Having it in the overlay would be top.

[eram]

its true, people that make the client that add a feature is not called a plugin

[livinggg]

There is much merit in modular software, operating systems are very modular because they must be efficient. There is no sense in tying down core functionality to things that aren't essential to it's operation.

[eram]

if valve want to open up the client to mods and plugins then cool. i dont know how versatile the api even is to allow such features.

i think you may want features to be added by valve.

[livinggg]

This probably wouldn't require much more than moving several portions of code into individual payloads and then cleaning up the wounds. Could be done in a day more or less, depending on the skill of the coder, or the incentive to experiment with the code rather.

[livinggg]

The only thing that would require much work would be creating an interface to add functionality in the settings menu.

The api shouldn't make too much of a difference, but then again I don't know exactly what is going on there as I've never even looked at it.

[eram]

Originally posted by bisder:

This probably wouldn't require much more than moving several portions of code into individual payloads and then cleaning up the wounds. Could be done in a day more or less, depending on the skill of the coder, or the incentive to experiment with the code rather.

any time someone says its a simple job and only takes a day......

if you know how please go work for valve they would hire you
https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/

[livinggg]

Well to be fair, it isn't exactly simple, but...valve has the proper knowledge, tools, understanding, coders and resources to make it muuuuch much easier. Maybe a day is being too demanding, but the point was that it didn't seem time intensive overall.

I would love to work for valve, unfortunately I am not a professional, just a hobbyist. If they need someone with vision and a love for the industry then...well...maybe. Will work for games.

[Gwarsbane]

Knowing that this has been asked for for a LONG time (20 years) this is not going to happen. It opens security holes. People making plugins available that breaks the clients or steals people info or gives them a back door into the client to take someones stuff.

It also makes the figuring out an issue with the client so much harder when you have to take into account someone might have dozens or even hundreds of plugins depending on what they want to do with the client. To try to replicate an issue would mean they would have to install all the same plugins, some which they might not know about cause the person didn't tell them due to being from 3rd party sites.

[livinggg]

If security is the reason this is never considered it would be trivial to issue certificates and use checksums in order to properly identify the vendor. Also, the added functionality brought forth by plugins could run in a user mode if you will, without access to the user's credentials or profile. This would take a little more time, but still trivial nonetheless.

[livinggg]

Maybe chromium out of process plugins with external payloads maybe, like how some plugins have a separate executable that come with them, like some embedded video downloaders. (I don't even know if this is the right way to do this, but I'm hoping someone who does understand it more than me could chime in maybe?)