Hello and greetings to web enthusiasts! When we talk about caching in HTTP, we usually focus on its benefits and challenges for speeding up deployment and user experience. However, behind the scenes, the world of caching is closely related to other components of web and applications, which in this article we want to explore these connections and understand how they can enhance management.
How this caching works is a fascinating and sometimes complex issue, but in the real world of the web, we have to pay attention to its relationship with other systems. For example, assume you have applications that utilize several different services, including APIs. Now if any of these services leverage caching, how should they collectively synchronize to keep data updated properly?
In RFC 9111, it has been stated when and how different caches can interact with each other. This can create temporal dependencies where, for instance, data cached locally in your application might have to be invalidated based on changes done on the main server, requiring fresh updates. This point is particularly significant when multiple services have a shared data access.
HTTP headers should not be overlooked. These headers not only assist proxies and devices in determining what content should be cached but can also provide insights into the longevity of cache and its expiration period. In this regard, developers should carefully control these parameters to prevent potential overloading of the system.
In other words, during the caching process, everything is about managing the correct lifespan of stored data and efficiently utilizing these resources. By implementing proper caching principles, not only can server load be reduced but the user experience will significantly improve.
<meta> Relevant header for controlling API caches</p>
<p
<meta http-equiv="Cache-Control" content="no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate"></p>
><p>
<script type="text/javascript">
function updateCache() {
// Fetch new data from server
fetch('/api/data').then(response => response.json()).then(data => {
// Update local cache
localStorage.setItem('data', JSON.stringify(data));
});
}
</script>
</p>
Header Cache-Control: This header specifies general caching directives and can include instructions to disable caching.
Contents of <script>: Code that updates the local cache when data is received from the server.
The function updateCache(): A function responsible for fetching and storing cached data (here using localStorage).
The instruction fetch: Used to obtain data asynchronously from any API or service.