timed-memoize

Timed memoize.

Basic usage

import memoize from 'timed-memoize';
 
// Memoize function return values
const memoizedFunction = memoize(myFunction [, options]);
memoizedFunction('foo'); // returns myFucntion('foo'), saves the value in memory for later use
 
// Memoize using key/value pairs
const memory = memoize([options]);
memory(key, value); // sets 'key' to 'value'
memory(key); // gets the value

Tiny library that wraps a function to memoize its return values when given specific arguments. Return values are cached on a per-arguments basis. This means that if you call the function with different arguments, then the cache will be missed and a new value will be computed with those arguments (see examples below). Optionally you can specify how to resolve the arguments to a key that is used internally to cache return values.

It is also possible to memoize key/value pairs using a cache.

Works in browsers and Node.js

Options

Memoizing functions

• fn (required): Function whose return values to memoize.
• options (default: {}): An object with the following options:
  • timeout (default: 0): The amount of time in milliseconds to keep the function's return value in cache for. Keeps values indefinitely for timeout = -1.
  • hot (default: true): If enabled, keeps track of when the last call to the function was made (with the arguments supplied); it then makes sure the cache is kept for an additional timeout amount of time. This helps keeping the cache alive for frequently used values.
  • resolver (default: args => args): A function that accepts a single array and transforms it into a key. The returned key can be anything that can be used as a key in standard JavaScript objects. Not used when one = true.
  • discardUndefined (default: false): If the underlying function returns undefined, then don't cache the value and re-evaluate the function on the next call.
  • one (default: false) Only ever remember one value. When the memoized function is repeatedly called with the same arguments, the cache will hit and the underlying function is not called. When the memoized function is called with different arguments, the cache will miss and a new value is cached by calling the underlying function. Note: the arguments are checked shallowly for equality.

Returns a function that can be invoked like the underlying function, but returns cached results.

Memoizing key/value pairs

• options (default: {}): An object with the following options:
  • timeout (default: 0): The amount of time in milliseconds to keep the key/value pair in cache for. Keeps values indefinitely for timeout = -1.
  • hot (default: true): If enabled, keeps track of when the last request for the value was made; it then makes sure the cache is kept for an additional timeout amount of time. This helps keeping the cache alive for frequently used values.

Returns a function that can be used to set key/value pairs, and can return the cached values.

const memory = memoize(options);

is equivalent to

const memory = memoize((x, y) => y, {...options, resolver: args => args[0], discardUndefined: true});

Examples

import memoize from 'timed-memoize';
 
function myHeavyComputation(x) {
    console.log(`Computing the square root of ${x}...`)
    return Math.sqrt(x * x);
}
 
// Caches immediately, even when called synchronously.
const myHeavyComputationMemoized = memoize(myHeavyComputation, {timeout: 500, hot: false});
console.log(myHeavyComputationMemoized(1)); // 1, cache miss
console.log(myHeavyComputationMemoized(4)); // 2, cache miss
console.log(myHeavyComputationMemoized(1)); // 1, cache hit
 
// Cold cache.
// Any values returned by the underlying function are forgotten after 500ms.
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHeavyComputationMemoized(9)), 0); // 3, cache miss
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHeavyComputationMemoized(9)), 300); // 3, cache hit
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHeavyComputationMemoized(9)), 600); // 3, cache miss
 
// Hot cache.
// Any values returned by the underlying function are forgotten after 500ms.
// If the function is called again with the same arguments, the timer is reset. 
const myHotAndHeavyComputation = memoize(myHeavyComputation, {timeout: 500, hot: true});
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHotAndHeavyComputation(16)), 0); // 4, cache miss
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHotAndHeavyComputation(16)), 300); // 4, cache hit
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHotAndHeavyComputation(16)), 600); // 4, cache hit
setTimeout(() => console.log(myHotAndHeavyComputation(16)), 1200); // 4, cache miss
 
// Cache with custom resolver.
// Resolver is used to remember return values from past calls.
function mySideEffect(x, y) {
    console.log(y);
    return x + 1;
}
const mySideEffectWithUnimportantArguments = memoize(mySideEffect, {resolver: args => args[0]});
console.log(mySideEffectWithUnimportantArguments(1, 'foo')); // 2, cache miss
console.log(mySideEffectWithUnimportantArguments(1, 'bar')); // 2, cache hit
 
// Storing and retrieving key/value pairs
const memory = memoize({timeout: 50, hot: false});
memory('foo', 'bar');
console.log(memory('foo')); // bar
setTimeout(() => console.log(memory('foo')), 25); // bar
setTimeout(() => console.log(memory('foo')), 75); // undefined
 
// Set timeout to -1, keep this value for ever.
const memoizeForever = memoize(myHeavyComputation, {timeout: -1});
setTimeout(() => console.log(memoizeForever(16)), 0); // 4, cache miss
setTimeout(() => console.log(memoizeForever(16)), 500); // 4, cache hit
setTimeout(() => console.log(memoizeForever(16)), 500000000000); // 4, cache hit
 
// Only ever remember one value, change value based on function arguments.
const memoizeOne = memoize(myHeavyComputation, {one: true});
memoizeOne(16); // 4, cache miss
memoizeOne(16); // 4, cache hit
memoizeOne(16); // 4, cache hit
memoizeOne(25); // 5, cache miss
memoizeOne(25); // 5, cache hit
memoizeOne(16); // 4, cache miss
memoizeOne(16); // 4, cache hit

Installation

Node

npm install --save timed-memoize