Add-on manager

Add-ons are (usually third-party) extra value features and functions that are not included with XBMC by default which can be added by the end-user themselves if they like to add. Plugins, script, skins, and EventClient's are counted as such "Add-ons" as they 'add-on' new features and functions to XBMC.

Python Add-ons

XBMC provides to python a way to create graphical user interfaces, access to read infomation about the the hardware and operating-system enviroment, and ability to extend XBMC features by allowing python scripters to create plugins and scripts for specific web sites to download and allow you to watch content from. You can also use python in programming a web interface.

About Python

To quote Python.org: "Python® is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that can be used for many kinds of software development. It offers strong support for integration with other languages and tools, comes with extensive standard libraries, and can be learned in a few days. Many Python programmers report substantial productivity gains and feel the language encourages the development of higher quality, more maintainable code".

Python plugin versus script confusion

Please do not confuse "Plugins" made for XBMC with "Scripts" made for XBMC. Unlike the Scripts, Plugins are not meant to be directly invoked by the user. Instead, Plugins are automatically invoked when the user enters such a virtual folder. Do not try to run Plugins files from the scripts window as that will only give you some weird error message. Plugins, unlike Scripts, do not really provide new functionality to XBMC, instead what they do do is provide an easy way to present content listings in XBMC through the native GUI interface.

Plugins

Plugins. XBMC features Python interpreter engine (version 2.4) and XBMC GUI interface have built-in 'Add-on' support for displaying content listings that present to that GUI interface. Plugins, unlike scripts, do not really provide new functionality to XBMC, instead what they do do is provide an easy way to present content listings in XBMC through the native GUI interface. Content is usually online sources like Internet audio and video streams, (like Internet TV-channels, and radio-station, or Podcasts), or pictures from websites which as Flickr and Picasa Web.

Scripts

Scripts. XBMC features Python interpreter engine (version 2.4) and WindowXML application framework (a XML-based widget toolkit for creating GUI windows) in a similar fashion to Apple Mac OS X Dashboard Widgets and Microsoft Gadgets in Windows Sidebar. So normal users can add new functionality to XBMC themselves (using the easy to learn Python programming language) without knowledge of the complex C/C++ programming language. Current python scripts for XBMC include functions like cinema guides, TV-guides (EPG), e-mail clients, instant messaging, train-timetables, scripts to front-end control PVR software and hardware (like: MediaPortal, MythTV, TiVo, ReplayTV, Dreambox/DBox2), Internet-radio-station browsers (example SHOUTcast, Xm radio, Sirius Satellite Radio), P2P file-sharing downloaders (BitTorrent), IRC instant messaging chat, also casual games (sometimes also referred to as mini-games or party-games) such as Tetris, Snake, Space Invaders, Sudoku, and much more.

Skins

Skins. XBMC is noted as having a very flexible and robust framework for its GUI, (now also proven by the fact that several other software projects have copied it), making theme-skinning and personal customization very accessible. Users can download and user others third-parties skins in XBMC, or create their own skin (or modify an existing skin) and share it with others via public websites dedicated for Xbox skins trading. "Project Mayhem" is the official default skin for XBMC; ("Project Mayhem" which is now in its third version is commonly know as "PMIII", there is also a high-definition version of this skin that is called "PM3.HD").

Many third-party skins exist and while many are of original and unique designs, a few skins are almost exact replicas of other multimedia software, with skins clones of Apple TV and Front Row, Microsoft Windows Media Center Edition (MCE), MediaPortal, Meedio/MeediOS, HDeeTV, Kaleidescape, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and others. Each skin provides a totally different and unique user experience, all showing just how flexible XBMC’s skinning engine really is.

EventClients

EventClients. XBMC acts as the EventServer which listens for commands from the Event Clients. Currently, support for remotes or gamepad-controllers has been implemented as event clients, however anything that want to send commands to XBMC can be implemented as one. To keep this communication as fast and plug n' play as possible UDP was chosen. UDP is used in things such as network games and is one of the lowest layers of network communication. This grants low latencies and very little overhead.

These commands are completely cross platform, e.g you can have an EventClient on a Linux/Mac/Windows-based computer that sends the commands to XBMC for Xbox.