[wp-hackers] Child plugins (add-ons)

[Dino Termini]

Hello list,

given that last time I had a philosophical question about my plugin, I 
got great feedback from the list, here I am, again :)

As my plugin WP SlimStat grows bigger and bigger, users request new 
features, options and new ways to display their stats. So I thought that 
it would be nice to follow WordPress' lead, and avoid implementing all 
of them in core, and instead work on ways to extend its functionality: 
child plugins (or add-ons, if you like). In order to avoid overcrowding 
the main Plugins screen, I was thinking about recreating a separate page 
within my plugin's options, where users can manage their add-ons for 
SlimStat, just like they do with regular plugins (delete, install, 
deactivate, etc).

I've seen other plugins out there using the concept of 'child plugins' 
(where they have the API/Library/Core functionality and then a bunch of 
plugins relying on it), so I believe this idea of separating the 
maintenance and keeping the main Plugins area clean and well organized, 
is compliant with the direction WordPress is taking with version 2.6.

So my question is: would it make sense to recreate such a 'sub' 
management page. If yes, is there an easy way to do it (include 
wp-admin/plugins.php ?) without having to reinvent the wheel?

Thank you,
Dino.