Kenny,

Just in case you may be a former (or even current) JAWS user Add-Ons are analogous to JAWS Scripts.  You can also consider them, in the NVDA screen reader sphere, to be analgous to web browser add-ons/extensions for a given web browser.

NVDA itself, the core code, has certain functions it performs but it, like all screen readers, is not "all things to all people."  It offers the ability for third parties to create add-ons that provide functionality that the core code does not.  Every once in a great while something that started out life as an add-on gets integrated into NVDA core code.  One good example of that which is currently "in the pipeline" is that the Add-On Updater Add-On functions are supposed to be integrated into NVDA itself at some point in the future.

It is impossible to state briefly what add-ons are for because there are just so many and they do so many different things.  There is no one I know of who has anywhere near to every one of the NVDA add-ons installed and active because they don't need or want a lot of the things certain add-ons do.  It's a "mix and match" situation where you pick and choose according to needs you have.

The two primary download Sources for most NVDA Add-Ons (some home-grown ones will appear in neither location) are:

NVDA Community Add-Ons Site

NVDA Add-Ons Directory (hosted by the Spanish-Speaking NVDA Community Association)
Your best bet as far as learning about what they're used for is going to the Community Add-Ons Site as a starting point and looking at the names of the add-ons, and clicking through to look at the more detailed descriptions as well.

--

Brian - Windows 10, 64-Bit, Version 21H2, Build 19044  

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

        ~ Dorothy Nevill

NVDA Add ons are additional functions, developed by third parties
which will work with NVDA to give us more facilities and improve our
working capabilities.
For example, OCR in windows10 on photos and PDFS are done more
efficiently using one add on"NAO".
Captcha image reading is done by one add on called cloud vision which
is not present in NVDA.
In future, these add on functions might be included in NVDA itself.
There are hundreds of add ons, which will enhance accessibility in
various areas including language translations.

--
nothing is difficult unless you make it appear so.

r. aravind,

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