client and server side plugins

as reply on https://github.com/less/less.js/pull/1386#issuecomment-68600248.
I think using plugins to distribute custom functions is a nice feature. For that reason i wondered if the Plugin Manager also should have a function object (just like vitsitors or postprocessors).

I also wonder what will be the best way to go to distribute plugin for server and client side (browser usage). For https://github.com/bassjobsen/less-plugin-cubehelix i implemented the strategy which can be found at: http://caolanmcmahon.com/posts/writing_for_node_and_the_browser/

Although the above seems to work i also found that i can not split up my code in different files is not possible. Sever side got a usage function and client side not.

Or should plugins always have two versions for client and server side?

Finally i'm looking for the way to distribute the client side plugins. Installing server side is that simple as npm install What can be used for client side? Packages like bower?

Thanks

Start with the linked pull-request comment and the less-plugin-cubehelix example, then read the referenced article about writing for Node and the browser. Compare the plugin manager API and the server/client distribution approaches described in the issue. Done would require an agreed design for custom-function plugins and client-side packaging.