registerSlot

Registerslot (often written as registerSlot) is a term used in software to describe the action of registering a function or callback—often called a slot or handler—to a slot in an event-dispatching system. The mechanism is common in event-driven programming, GUI frameworks, and plugin architectures.

In such systems, a slot is a code location associated with a specific event or signal. The registerSlot operation connects a function to that event so that when the event is emitted, the function is invoked. The API typically requires the event type, the callback, and may include options like priority, execution context, or lifecycle management. Registration can be static (at startup) or dynamic (runtime).

Applications include graphical user interfaces, where clicking a control fires a signal and the registered slots respond; and plugin systems, where plugins register slots to extend behavior. The term is used across frameworks, though exact names and semantics vary (for example, some frameworks call it connecting a signal to a slot, or registering a listener).

Considerations include ensuring thread-safety, avoiding reference cycles, managing the lifetime of callbacks to prevent use-after-free, and handling removal of slots when a component is destroyed. Performance can be affected by the number of registered slots and dispatch algorithm.

See also: signals and slots, event-driven programming, callback, plugin architecture, observer pattern.