Reliance on process.env.NODE_DEBUG

[ghost]

This code will fail if process or process.env does not exist:

node-util/util.js

Lines 109 to 110 in 6b82825

	if (process.env.NODE_DEBUG) {
	var debugEnv = process.env.NODE_DEBUG;

We ran into this with vite.js 2.8.x which has another convention (https://vitejs.dev/guide/env-and-mode.html#env-variables).
node-util should probably have a safe fallback for when this environment variable does not exist (assume production build?).

We used a workaround described here: visgl/deck.gl#6134 (comment)

[ljharb]

This is a node module; they always exist.

If vite doesn’t provide then, it’s not a node module bundler.

[ghost]

For people who see this in the future, there's also #43 which discusses this in more detail, and provides solutions for different tools which aren't node module bundlers.

[eddiemonge]

This is a node module; they always exist.

That's not a good reason for not including a simple check like

if (process && process.env && process.env.NODE_DEBUG) {

Just because this may be a node module doesn't mean it will always run in node. Node alternatives are popping up that may want to use this to get node like things but may not expose process.

The README also states

This implements the Node.js util module for environments that do not have it, like browsers.
which implies this is definitely not a node module.

edit
After reading #43, the issue is far deeper, but this one causes immediate breaking.

[ljharb]

Yes, it does mean that. An X module only ever runs in X, or in X-like environments.

[manzoorwanijk]

This is a node module; they always exist.

@ljharb If it always exists, then may be we should remove these checks for typeof process?

node-util/util.js

Lines 76 to 82 in ef98472

	if (typeof process !== 'undefined' && process.noDeprecation === true) {
	return fn;
	}
	// Allow for deprecating things in the process of starting up.
	if (typeof process === 'undefined') {
	return function() {

I don't understand the rigid behavior of denying to add a simple safety check. 🤷‍♂️

#62 should have been merged a long time ago. At least, it doesn't hurt or break anything.

[ljharb]

@manzoorwanijk true, we should remove those.

What it harms is that it furthers the tolerance of broken bundlers in the ecosystem.