Cache Management in PWAs

1. Introduction

Cache management is a vital aspect of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that enhances performance and provides offline capabilities. Effective caching strategies enable PWAs to deliver content quickly while minimizing server requests.

2. Key Concepts

3. Service Workers

Service workers are JavaScript files that run in the background and intercept network requests. Here’s how to register a service worker:

if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
    window.addEventListener('load', function() {
        navigator.serviceWorker.register('/service-worker.js').then(function(registration) {
            console.log('Service Worker registered with scope:', registration.scope);
        }).catch(function(error) {
            console.error('Service Worker registration failed:', error);
        });
    });
}
            

4. Cache API

The Cache API allows you to store responses to network requests. Here’s an example of caching a resource:

self.addEventListener('install', function(event) {
    event.waitUntil(
        caches.open('my-cache').then(function(cache) {
            return cache.addAll([
                '/',
                '/index.html',
                '/styles.css',
                '/script.js',
                '/image.png'
            ]);
        })
    );
});
            

5. Best Practices

Implement the following best practices for effective cache management:

• Use versioning for cache names to handle updates.
• Implement a cache strategy (cache-first or network-first).
• Regularly clear outdated caches to prevent storage bloat.

6. FAQ