Cache Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation

   composer require gregwar/cache
   

   No additional configuration is needed—just autoload the package.

2. Basic Usage

   use Gregwar\Cache\Cache;
   
   $cache = new Cache('/path/to/cache/directory');
   $cache->set('key', 'value', 3600); // Cache for 1 hour
   $value = $cache->get('key');
   

3. First Use Case Cache database query results to reduce load:

   $users = $cache->remember('expensive_query', 60, function () {
       return User::all()->toArray();
   });
   

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Cache Warming Preload critical data during low-traffic periods:

   $cache->set('featured_products', Product::featured()->get(), 300);
   

2. Conditional Caching Use remember() for dynamic data with fallback logic:

   $data = $cache->remember('user_'.$userId, 300, function () use ($userId) {
       return User::find($userId)->load('posts');
   });
   

3. Cache Invalidation Clear stale data on updates:

   // After updating a user
   $cache->forget('user_'.$userId);
   $cache->forget('user_'.$userId.'_posts');
   

4. Tag-Based Invalidation Group related cache keys (requires custom implementation):

   $cache->set('tag:products:123', $product, 3600);
   // Later: Clear all 'tag:products:*' keys
   

5. Integration with Laravel Bind the package to Laravel’s cache manager:

   Cache::extend('gregwar', function ($app) {
       return new Gregwar\Cache\Cache(storage_path('framework/cache/gregwar'));
   });
   

   Then use Cache::driver('gregwar')->get('key').

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Directory Permissions Ensure the cache directory is writable by the web server:

   chmod -R 775 /path/to/cache
   

   Symptom: Silent failures or PermissionDeniedException.

2. Key Collisions Avoid using special characters (e.g., :, /) in keys unless URL-encoded. Fix: Sanitize keys:

   $safeKey = str_replace(['/', ':'], '_', $userId);
   

3. Memory vs. Disk Large cached data (e.g., serialized objects) may bloat storage. Tip: Use serialize()/unserialize() for complex objects:

   $cache->set('user_data', serialize($user));
   $user = unserialize($cache->get('user_data'));
   

4. TTL Granularity Seconds are the smallest unit. For sub-second precision, use 0 (no expiry) and manually invalidate.

5. Race Conditions remember() is not atomic. For critical sections, use locks:

   $cache->lock('update_key', 5, function () {
       // Critical update logic
   });
   

Debugging

• Check Cache Files Inspect /path/to/cache/ for corrupted or unexpected files.
• Log Misses/Hits Extend the class to log cache behavior:

  $cache = new Cache($dir, [
      'logger' => new \Monolog\Logger('cache', [$handler]),
  ]);
  

Extension Points

1. Custom Storage Override Cache::getStorage() to use S3, Redis, etc.:

   class CustomCache extends Cache {
       protected function getStorage() {
           return new \League\Flysystem\Filesystem(...);
       }
   }
   

2. Event Hooks Trigger events on set/get/forget by extending the class and overriding methods.

3. Compression Enable GZIP for large cache files:

   $cache->set('large_data', gzcompress($data), 3600);
   $data = gzuncompress($cache->get('large_data'));
   

4. Fallback Cache Implement a multi-layer cache (e.g., Redis + Filesystem):

   $fallback = new Cache($dir);
   $primary = Cache::store('redis');
   return $primary->get('key') ?? $fallback->get('key');