Home Arrow Icon Knowledge base Arrow Icon Global Arrow Icon How can I implement a basic cache in a React application


How can I implement a basic cache in a React application


Implementing a basic cache in a React application involves several methods. Here are some key points about caching in React:

1. react-cache:
- react-cache is a basic cache for React applications. It is meant to be used alongside experimental React features and is not recommended for use in production applications due to its unstable API.

2. Windows Cache:
- The Windows cache can be used to store single cache data in React JS. This involves defining a function to access named data in the cache storage and putting custom data into the browser cache. The cache is accessed using the `caches.open(cacheName)` method.

3. React Cache Function:
- The React Cache Function is a built-in feature of React Server Components. It allows caching the result of a data fetch or computation. This API is only usable in React Server Components and is not a replacement for other caching libraries like React Query.

4. useMemo and useCallback Hooks:
- These hooks are used to memoize values and functions, respectively. They help in reducing unnecessary re-renders by caching the results of expensive computations. `useMemo` memoizes the result of a function call, while `useCallback` memoizes the actual reference of a function.

5. Example Usage:
- Here is an example of using the `cache` function to avoid recomputing results when passing the same arguments to a function. This example shows how the `cache` function can be used to memoize a function and avoid unnecessary computations.

Example Code

jsx
import { cache, useState, useReducer } from "react";

const alertCounter = cache((id) => {
  alert(id);
});

function App() {
  const [counter, setCounter] = useState(0);
  const [_, rerender] = useReducer(() => ({ }), {});

  alertCounter(counter);

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => setCounter((v) => v + 1)}>Add to {counter}</button>
      <button onClick={rerender}>Rerender</button>
      <input key={Math.floor(Math.random() * 10)} />
    </div>
  );
}

Conclusion

React provides various methods to implement caching, including the `react-cache` package, Windows cache, React Cache Function, and the `useMemo` and `useCallback` hooks. Each method has its own use cases and is suitable for different scenarios in React applications.
Citations:
[1] https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-cache
[2] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-implement-caching-in-react-redux-applications/
[3] https://reetesh.in/blog/react-cache-function-explained
[4] https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/utilizing-browser-cache-and-cookies-in-react-js-applications/
[5] https://unicorn-utterances.com/posts/explaining-reacts-cache-function