Plug-in applications are programs that can easily be installed and used as part of your Web browser.
Initially, the Netscape browser allowed you to download, install, and
define supplementary programs that played sound or motion video or
performed other functions. These were called helper applications.
However, these applications run as a separate application and require
that a second window be opened. A plug-in application is recognized
automatically by the browser and its function is integrated into the
main HTML file that is being presented.