I recently created a small NPM package with some API tools and helper functions. It’s working well for what I need, but I want to make it better by adding smart caching features.
I’m thinking about things like stale-while-revalidate, in-memory storage, and conditional fetches. But before I start coding, I’d love to hear from people who have experience with this stuff.
Some questions I have:
What’s a good way to handle caching in a shared NPM package?
Are there any great resources or examples I should check out?
If you were making this, how would you set up the caching?
Would you use a package like this? If not, what would make it more useful?
I want to keep it simple, easy for developers, and work with different frameworks. It would be awesome if people actually wanted to use it or even help improve it.
Let me know what you think! Any ideas or feedback would be super helpful. Thanks!
hey mia, cool project! for caching, try node-cache, it’s super simple. you could let users set cache time and size, and consider stale-while-revalidate too. docs clarity is key!
I’ve actually been down this road before with a similar utility package. From my experience, implementing caching in a shared NPM package can be tricky, but it’s definitely worth it for the performance gains.
For handling caching, I’d recommend using a simple in-memory store like node-cache. It’s lightweight and easy to integrate. You could also consider offering configurable options for cache duration and max size to give users more control.
One approach that worked well for me was implementing a decorator pattern. This allowed users to easily wrap their API calls with caching functionality without changing their existing code too much.
As for resources, I found the MDN web docs on HTTP caching to be incredibly helpful for understanding the underlying concepts. There’s also a great article on CSS-Tricks about stale-while-revalidate that I’d highly recommend.
Just remember to document your caching behavior clearly. It can be frustrating for users if they’re not aware of how the cache is working under the hood. Good luck with your package!
Having worked on similar projects, I’d suggest looking into LRU-cache for your package. It’s efficient and widely used in the Node.js ecosystem. For implementation, consider a middleware approach that wraps your API calls. This allows for easy integration and customization.
One crucial aspect is to provide clear configuration options. Let users set cache size, TTL, and revalidation strategies. This flexibility can greatly enhance the package’s appeal.
Regarding resources, the npm documentation on creating and publishing packages is invaluable. Also, study popular caching implementations in well-established libraries like axios or got for inspiration.
Remember, thorough testing is key, especially for edge cases. Ensure your caching logic works consistently across different Node.js versions and environments. Good luck with your project!