The 'User-Friendly' Alternate Reality of Csound
What if?
Csound only comes in one variety, Csound Core. Csound Core is designed with an interface layer. Developers design plugins/add-ons to Csound Core using this interface layer. Users download and use Csound Core. When a particular user needs something more than Csound Core has to offer, they go to the Csound Plugin page, find what they are looking for, download, and install. After the installation, Csound Core automatically recognizes the plugin. Csound Core does not need to be compiled, it just works.
Plugins include: Python, Java, VST, CsoundAC, Audio Units, TclCsound, FLTK Widgets, Virtual MIDI Keyboard, LADSPA, Plugin Manager (allows users to turn on/off installed plugins), etc. Third party software also uses this same interface layer to use Csound as an audio engine.
To me, this is nearly the ideal situation. Is this possible. Absolutely! Plausible, maybe?
Best,
Jake