Envisage is a python-based framework for building extensible applications, that is, applications whose functionality can be extended by adding "plug-ins". envisage provides a standard mechanism for features to be added to an application, whether by the original developer or by someone else. in fact, when you build an application using envisage, the entire application consists primarily of plug-ins. in this respect, it is similar to the eclipse and netbeans frameworks for java applications.