Xtra (Macromedia)

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Xtras' are plug-in applications (alternatively know as extensions, add-ons, or components) for Macromedia products (now owned by Adobe), in particular Adobe Director. They can be user-created, or bought from third party vendors. Adobe maintains a list of third party Xtras. Many of Director's own functions are implemented as Xtras.

Xtras are supported and available on the following products:

• Adobe Director / Adobe Shockwave
• Adobe Authorware
• Adobe Freehand

However, both Authorware and Freehand have been left in limbo by current owner Adobe, and Director always had the broadest support for Xtras (all of the three types of Xtras could be used).

Example Uses

Technical Aspects

Xtras use the Macromedia Open Architecture http://www.adobe.com/support/xtras/info/moa.html which was designed to allow easy creation of interchangeable components between Macromedia products.

Xtras for Win32 must have an .X32 file extension. Xtras for the Macintosh generally have an .XTR extension. The file extension *.X16 is reserved for Xtras for Win16.

Adobe's main Xtras page - http://www.adobe.com/products/xtras/ Freehand Xtras Development Kit - http://www.adobe.com/support/xtras/xdks/fhxdk.html

You can learn which Xtras are available in your copy of Director by typing ShowXlib in the message window.

External links

• Adobe Xtras Developer Support support page on the subject of creating Xtras.
• Kent's Xtras Page Free Xtras for Macromedia Director developers
• Integration New Media is a commercial vendor of third-party Xtra applications for Director.
• Paradigma Software is the commercial vendor of the Xtra Valentina, a shockwave compatible database system.
• Dean's Xtras Companies List
• Mile High Table O'Products