Cache API Basics

What is Cache API?

The Cache API is a web API that allows developers to store and retrieve network requests and responses in a cache. This is particularly useful for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) as it provides offline support and improves performance by reducing network requests.

How Cache API Works

The Cache API operates through a simple asynchronous interface, allowing you to create, read, and delete caches. It stores network requests and their corresponding responses, which can be used to serve requests when the network is not available.

        // Opening a cache
        caches.open('my-cache').then(function(cache) {
            // Cache a network response
            cache.add('/index.html');
        });
        

Cache Structure

Cache entries are structured as key-value pairs where:

• Key: URL of the request
• Value: Response object

Using Cache API

Using the Cache API involves a few key steps:

1. Open a cache using `caches.open()`.
2. Add items to the cache with `cache.add()` or `cache.put()`.
3. Retrieve items from the cache using `cache.match()`.
4. Delete items from the cache using `cache.delete()`.

Example: Caching a Resource

        // Caching a resource
        caches.open('my-cache').then(function(cache) {
            return cache.addAll([
                '/index.html',
                '/styles.css',
                '/script.js'
            ]);
        });
        

Best Practices

• Use versioning for cache names to manage updates effectively.
• Implement a cache expiration strategy to avoid stale content.
• Only cache essential resources to optimize storage.
• Clear caches when they are no longer needed.

FAQ