diff --git a/src/shared/shareddata.py b/src/shared/shareddata.py
index 01181fa..2a2b180 100644
--- a/src/shared/shareddata.py
+++ b/src/shared/shareddata.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import sys
 import platform
 
 
-CURRENT_VERSION = "1.6.1"
+CURRENT_VERSION = "1.7.0"
 APP_NAME = "flares"
 APP_NAME_EXPANDED = "fNIRS Lightweight Analysis, Research, & Evaluation Suite"
 API_URL = f"https://git.research.dezeeuw.ca/api/v1/repos/tyler/{APP_NAME}/releases"
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ API_URL_SECONDARY = f"https://git.research2.dezeeuw.ca/api/v1/repos/tyler/{APP_N
 PLATFORM_NAME = platform.system().lower()
 CHANGELOG_URL = f"https://git.research.dezeeuw.ca/tyler/{APP_NAME}/raw/branch/main/changelog_major.md"
 WIKI_URL = f"https://git.research.dezeeuw.ca/tyler/{APP_NAME}/wiki"
+PLUGINS_URL = f"https://git.research.dezeeuw.ca/tyler/{APP_NAME}-plugins/raw/branch/main/plugins.json"
 
 
 PIPELINE_STAGES = [
@@ -72,9 +73,13 @@ DATA_SCHEMA = [
 
 
 def resource_path(relative_path: str) -> str:
-    """
-    Get absolute path to resource regardless of running directly or packaged using PyInstaller
-    """
-
+    """Get absolute path to resource regardless of running directly or packaged using PyInstaller"""
     base_path = getattr(sys, "_MEIPASS", os.path.abspath("."))
-    return os.path.join(base_path, relative_path)
\ No newline at end of file
+    return os.path.join(base_path, relative_path)
+
+
+def get_app_dir() -> str:
+    """Returns the root directory of the application executable or working directory."""
+    if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
+        return os.path.dirname(sys.executable)
+    return os.getcwd()
\ No newline at end of file