Design Patterns · Senior · Question 56 of 75

What characterizes a microkernel (plugin) architecture, as in VS Code?

✓Correct answer: A small stable core with extension points; features live in plugins that use a versioned API
2A tiny operating system kernel in the browser
3Each plugin has its own copy of the core

Explanation

The extension API must evolve compatibly; isolation (separate processes, sandboxes) protects the core from faulty plugins.

Further reading

Wikipedia: Plug-in (computing) ↗

Test yourself

Take the Design Patterns · Senior quiz: questions and options are shuffled, and you get a review of your mistakes at the end.