# App-specific plugin architecture / system / plan-of-attack?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-specific-plugin-architecture-system-plan-of-attack/145159>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 6, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-specific-plugin-architecture-system-plan-of-attack/145159 "2008-08-06T16:14:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Joel\_O](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@Joel\_O](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Joel_O)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/app-specific-plugin-architecture-system-plan-of-attack/145159/1 "2008-08-06T16:14:01Z")

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Hi everyone -

I’ve been working on a rails app for the past few years and always keep  
coming back to the fact that a lot of the functionality I’ve wanted to  
include could have been much easier to develop if I had put together  
something akin to plugins for the app itself. Stuff I could just turn  
on  
and off instead of just hacking it into the site itself. In addition  
to  
that point - there are a lot of user and group specific areas that  
should be  
customizable enough for said users, or groups, to pick and choose which  
“modules” they want to interact with.

Which brings me to my question - before I jump in and write something  
from  
scratch, has there been anything created already that either helps the  
process of writing app-specific “plugins” … a gem or _rails_ plugin  
maybe  
… or just something of a theory in which someone should stick to while  
writing said plugin architecture?

I guess the thing which I most want to emulate is how the plugin  
architecture in WordPress works. Has anyone done something similar?

Thanks so much!

- J