diff --git a/juci/plugin/CMakeLists.txt b/juci/plugin/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b05816
--- /dev/null
+++ b/juci/plugin/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 2.4)
+set(project_name plugin)
+project (${project_name})
+
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++14")
+
+include(FindPkgConfig)
+
+#Boost_FOUND            - True if headers and requested libraries were found
+#Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS     - Boost include directories
+#Boost_LIBRARY_DIRS     - Link directories for Boost libraries
+#Boost_LIBRARIES        - Boost component libraries to be linked
+find_package(Boost 1.55 REQUIRED COMPONENTS python system  )
+
+if(!${Boost_FOUND})
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Boost libraries not found")
+endif()
+
+#GTKMM_FOUND            - True if headers and requested libraries were found
+#GTKMM_INCLUDE_DIRS     - GTKMM include directories
+#GTKMM_LIBRARY_DIRS     - Link directories for GTKMM libraries
+#GTKMM_LIBRARIES        - GTKMM component libraries to be linked
+pkg_check_modules(GTKMM REQUIRED gtkmm-3.0)
+
+if(!${GTKMM_FOUND})
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Gtkmm not found")
+endif()
+
+#PYTHONLIBS_FOUND           - True if headers and requested libraries were found
+#PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS        - GTKMM include directories
+#PYTHON_LIBRARIES           - GTKMM component libraries to be linked
+#$PYTHONLIBS_VERSION_STRING - ersion string
+find_package(PythonLibs 2.7 REQUIRED)
+
+if(!${PYTHONLIBS_FOUND})
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "Pythonlibs not found")
+else()
+  message("Found python libs ${PYTHONLIBS_VERSION_STRING}")
+endif()
+
+ADD_LIBRARY(plugintest_ext MODULE
+  plugin.h
+  plugin.cc
+  plugin_ext.cc
+  )
+
+set_target_properties(plugintest_ext PROPERTIES PREFIX "") 
+target_link_libraries(plugintest_ext ${Boost_LIBRARIES})
+
+add_executable(${project_name}
+  plugin.h
+  plugin.cc
+  )
+
+include_directories(${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${GTKMM_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+link_directories(${GTKMM_LIBRARY_DIRS} ${Boost_LIBRARY_DIRS}  ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+target_link_libraries(${project_name} ${Boost_LIBRARIES} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} ${GTKMM_LIBRARIES})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/juci/plugin/plugin.cc b/juci/plugin/plugin.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a76f57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/juci/plugin/plugin.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#include "plugin.h"
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+//    setPythonVar:
+//    initiates a string value (k_var_value) to a declared variable name
+//    (k_var_name) within a given namespace(python_name_space)
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+bp::object Plugin::setPythonVar(const std::string k_var_name,
+				const std::string k_var_value,
+				bp::object python_name_space ) {  
+  std::string temp = k_var_name + " = \"" + k_var_value + "\"";
+  bp::str the_var(temp);
+  return bp::exec(the_var, python_name_space);
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+//   openPythonScript:
+//   Opens a python plugin script within a file path and a python namespace
+//   
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+bp::object Plugin::openPythonScript(const std::string path,
+				    bp::object python_name_space) {
+  std::string temp = g_project_root + "plugins/" + path + "/" + path + ".py";
+  bp::str the_path(temp);
+  return bp::exec_file(the_path, python_name_space);
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+// for testing purposes only
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+std::string Plugin::get_test_value2(){
+  return "STRING FROM WITHIN C++";
+}
+
+/* public functions */
+
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+//    snippet:
+//    takes a std::string and converts it into a matching snippet
+//    if no matching snippet, returns the same string
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+void Plugin::snippet(std::string& word){
+  try{
+    /* initialize python interpreter */
+    Py_Initialize();
+    bp::object main_module =  bp::import("__main__");
+    bp::object main_namespace = main_module.attr("__dict__");
+    
+    /* runs script from python */
+    bp::object ignored1 = setPythonVar("word", word, main_namespace);
+    bp::object ignored2 = openPythonScript(__func__, main_namespace);
+    
+    /* extracts desired values */   
+    bp::object pySnippet =  bp::eval("getSnippet()", main_namespace);
+    word = bp::extract<std::string>(pySnippet);
+    /* add snippet to textView */
+    //TODO add snippet
+
+  }catch(bp::error_already_set const&){
+    PyErr_Print();
+  }
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+//    get_test_value:
+//    for testing purposes
+//    uses a python module generated from c++
+//    calls c++ function from python
+//    returns string to c++ from python
+//    prints the string from python within c++
+//
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+ void Plugin::get_test_value(){
+  try{
+     /* initialize python interpreter */
+    Py_Initialize();
+    bp::object main_module =  bp::import("__main__");
+    bp::object main_namespace = main_module.attr("__dict__");
+    
+    /* runs script from python */
+    const std::string path("test");
+    bp::object ignored2 = openPythonScript(path, main_namespace);
+
+    /* extracts desired values */
+    bp::object pySnippet =  bp::eval("get_test_value()", main_namespace);
+    std::string mword = bp::extract<std::string>(pySnippet);
+    /* add snippet to textView */
+    std::cout << mword << std::endl;
+    //TODO add snippet
+
+  }catch(bp::error_already_set const&){
+    PyErr_Print();
+  }
+ }
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    std::string word("ifelse");
+  Plugin::snippet(word);
+  //Plugin::get_test_value();
+  std::cout << word << std::endl;
+  return 0;
+
+}
diff --git a/juci/plugin/plugin.h b/juci/plugin/plugin.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c6e1aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/juci/plugin/plugin.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#ifndef JUCI_PLUGIN_H_
+#define JUCI_PLUGIN_H_
+
+#include <boost/python.hpp>
+#include <Python.h>
+
+#include <string>
+#include <iostream>
+
+namespace bp = boost::python;
+
+const std::string g_project_root("~/q6/testing/plugin/");
+//TODO (forgie) get current working directory..
+
+class Plugin{
+ public:
+  static void snippet(std::string& word);
+  static void get_test_value();
+  static std::string get_test_value2(); 
+ private:
+  static bp::object setPythonVar(const std::string varName,
+				 const std::string varValue,
+				 bp::object python_name_space);
+  static bp::object openPythonScript(const std::string path,
+				     bp::object python_name_space);
+};
+
+#endif // JUCI_PLUGIN_H_
diff --git a/juci/plugin/plugin_ext.cc b/juci/plugin/plugin_ext.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5067e10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/juci/plugin/plugin_ext.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#include "plugin.h"
+#include <boost/python.hpp>
+using namespace boost::python;
+
+BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(plugintest_ext)
+{
+    def("get_test_value2", &Plugin::get_test_value2);
+}
diff --git a/juci/plugin/randomtext.txt b/juci/plugin/randomtext.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4bbb4f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/juci/plugin/randomtext.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+void theprogram()
+{
+    std::string input;
+    std::cout << "Enter string to transform: ";
+    std::getline(std::cin, input);
+    //std::string inttransformed = CallPythonPlugIn(input);
+    std::cout << "The transformed string is: " << input << std::endl;
+}
+
+int test1()
+{
+    try{
+        Py_Initialize();
+        object main_module = import("__main__");
+        object main_namespace = main_module.attr("__dict__");
+        object ignored = exec("result = 5 ** 2", main_namespace);
+        int five_squared = extract<int>(main_namespace["result"]);
+
+        printf("%d\n", five_squared);
+
+        return five_squared;
+    }
+    catch(error_already_set const&){
+        PyErr_Print();
+    }
+
+    return -1;
+}
+
+void test2(int theNum, int &test)
+{
+    int seven = 7;
+
+    test = 7+ theNum;
+
+    std::cout << theNum << std::endl;
+}
+*/