Remove leveldown

[mcollina]

In #4 @rvagg suggested that we remove leveldown from here.

The whole point of this module was to provide a level experience that worked both in the browser and on the server.

I'm ok to remove it, but then what's its purpose?

(I'm opening a new discussion as I'll release the bugfix asap)

[rvagg]

@mcollina sorry, if that's the purpose then that's cool; I thought the purpose was to provide a convenience bundling for the browser so you can just require('level-browserify') in the browser like you require('level') on the server.

[mcollina]

The purpose was supporting code that was browserify-friendly on both the server and the client.

Maybe we can improve the readme, to make it clear :).

Any other opinions on this?

[JamesKyburz]

+1 for adding to readme.

I like the ability to have code run on server and client. Removing leveldown would break that.

If leveldown is to be removed, I think level should be made browserifyable.

[juliangruber]

it makes most sense to me to use level.js in the browser and leveldown in node...however having to compile leveldown when you just want to browserify sucks

[JamesKyburz]

@juliangruber that's true!

What are your thoughts on a browserfyable level then?

Browser only: Use level-browserify Node & Browser: browserify level using level-browserify

[rvagg]

ftr I'm not opposed to @JamesKyburz's suggestion of sucking this into level since level.js adds minimal dependency overhead, unlike the reverse as @juliangruber is pointing out

[juliangruber]

Hm, basically I think, because of the way npm and browserify work, it doesn't ever make sense to have level.js and leveldown in the same module.

How often have you used that? At least I haven't. This module got 17 downloads last month (https://www.npmjs.org/package/level-browserify).

If you want to write a module that works in node and browser, simply require the consumer to pass in a levelup instance, modules shouldn't really depend on level anyways.

[JamesKyburz]

@juliangruber I would like the best of both worlds if possible, being too lazy to write if window... or have two db implentations.

Adding level-js to level would be a small dependency as @rvagg mentioned.

I agree that having a leveldown dependency in level-browserify if all you want is browser stuff is not optimal.

[juliangruber]

my point is that browser and node always have separate entry points, so you can instantiante the appropriate dbs there and pass to your library code that works with any leveldb

[JamesKyburz]

@juliangruber true

But then what' the purpose if this module.

Without using level or level-browserify we can already do the following : use level-packager passing leveldown for node & level-js for the browser.

[juliangruber]

Yeah, my thinking - with the way browserify/npm works - is this module isn't of any real use...I too thought it was a cool idea but at least I personally didn't ever see a need for it.

[juliangruber]

No other module depends on this one

[juliangruber]

So...we can just leave the way it is :D

[mcollina]

Nice discussion! I've written this module to use it inside LevelGraph, but I have still not finished the new version. I'm also thinking about not including levelup/leveldown/leveljs in there, and just require them as an argument.