Design and implementation of a dynamic plugin framework using Java Reflection

Papakostas, Panagiotis; Παπακώστας, Παναγιώτης

Σχεδίαση και υλοποίηση ενός δυναμικού συστήματος προσθηκών μέσω Java Reflection

Master Thesis

Author

Papakostas, Panagiotis

Παπακώστας, Παναγιώτης

Date

2025-12

Abstract

This dissertation presents the design and implementation of a Dynamic Plugin Framework in Java, developed to enable runtime extensibility through reflection and Spring Boot integration. The framework allows new functionalities to be added to a running application without recompilation, supporting plugin upload, activation, deactivation, and execution directly through a web interface built with Angular. The system demonstrates the use of Java Reflection APIs, custom annotations, and dynamic class loading to load and execute plugin methods. On the backend, a Spring Boot application manages plugin metadata, handles authentication, and exposes REST endpoints for execution. On the frontend, an Angular interface enables users to upload plugins, invoke methods, and visualize outputs in real time. This research explores the architectural decisions that balance flexibility, security, and performance, while providing a practical demonstration of modular software design. The resulting system validates that reflection-based dynamic loading can achieve maintainable extensibility without compromising safety, especially when combined with dependency injection and safe invocation mechanisms.

Postgraduate Studies Programme

Προηγμένα Συστήματα Πληροφορικής - Ανάπτυξη Λογισμικού και Τεχνητής Νοημοσύνης

Department

Σχολή Τεχνολογιών Πληροφορικής και Επικοινωνιών. Τμήμα Πληροφορικής

Number of pages

Language

English

URI

https://dione.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/handle/unipi/18788

Collections

Τμήμα Πληροφορικής

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Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Μη Εμπορική Χρήση-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 3.0 Ελλάδα