Typescript Cacheable

An in-memory caching (memoization) decorator for TypeScript. It will cache the results of expensive methods or property accessors. The underlying function is wrapped to apply caching concerns.

Quick Start

Apply the decorator to cache long-running (or high compute cost) methods or getters.

In the example below, the first invocation will take 100ms. Subsequent invocations will take 1-2ms. The result will be cached globally, until the end of time, as long as the owning object lives.

@Cacheable()
public async findHappiest(): Promise<Dwarf> {
    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        setTimeout(() => {
            resolve(new Dwarf('Huck', 'Finn'));
        }, 100);
    });
}

Methods with Parameters

When the type of each parameter can be serialized to JSON

If the parameters can be serialized to JSON, simply apply the decorator:

@Cacheable()
public async countByLastName(name: string): Promise<number> {
    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        setTimeout(() => {
            resolve(12);
        }, 100);
    });
}

Subsequent invocations for the same set of arguments will return the cached value. Values will be cached globally, until the end of time - consider the memory implications! For example, there should be a finite set of possible argument values.

Note that argument values of undefined are supported, even though undefined is not a valid JSON value. (undefined within objects is still not supported.)

When the cache key can't be inferred

If the argument cannot be serialized to JSON (perhaps to due circular references) and the cache key can't be inferred, parameters can implement the CacheableKey interface:

export class WeatherConditions implements CacheableKey {
    cacheKey(): string {
        return `${this.temperature}:${this.humidity}`;
    }
}

The cacheKey should be unique, given state of the instance. Now WeatherConditions can serve as a cache key, alongside other arguments if required:

@Cacheable()
public async findAdaptedFor(weather: WeatherConditions): Promise<Dwarf> {
   //
}

Scopes

Global

The default scope is global. The previous examples are the equivalent of:

@Cacheable({scope: 'GLOBAL'})
public async findHappiest(): Promise<Dwarf> {
    // etc
}

Local

TypeScript cacheable integrates with AsyncLocalStorage to provide caching scoped to the call-chain, such as the current http request in a web app.

Local Storage Example

Firstly, local storage must be activated to establish the call-chain.

To be able to use local storage in an express app, bind it to http requests, as follows:

export const app = express()
const als = new AsyncLocalStorage<Context>()

export const getStore = (): unknown => {
    return als.getStore()
}

app.use((req: express.Request, res: express.Response, next: express.NextFunction) => {
    const context = new Context()
    als.run(context, () => {
        return next()
    })
})
:

It is really important that the instance of AsyncLocalStorage you are binding in your call chain is the same one you use for the getStore function.

The first invocation to the method below, within the current http request, will compute a new value, after which the cached value will be returned. Note that for local storage caching you must provide a function that will return the AsyncLocalStorage store.

import { getStore } from './SimpleApp'
:
@Cacheable({ scope: 'LOCAL_STORAGE', getStore: getStore })
public async findCompanion(): Promise<Dwarf> {
    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        setTimeout(() => {
            const dwarf = new Dwarf(faker.name.firstName(), faker.name.lastName());
            resolve(dwarf);
        }, 100);
    });
}

Follow the same pattern as above for your own web stack. Open an issue if you need help.

Time to Live

By default, cached values live indefinitely within the applicable scope. Expiration can be enabled using the time to live option. Example:

@Cacheable({ ttl: 1000 })
public async findGrumpiest(): Promise<Dwarf> {
    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        setTimeout(() => {
            resolve(new Dwarf('Huck', 'Finn'));
        }, 100);
    });
}

Time to live is specified in milliseconds.

Null/Undefined Behavior

The cacheUndefined option specifies how undefined/null return values are treated.

The default (true) means that if the cached method returns a null or undefined value, subsequent calls with the same parameters will return null/undefined from the cache, without invoking the underlying method again.

When false a null return value from the cache will result in the cached method body being evaluated again. Use this to cache temporal values, such as fx rates where once they exist for a given date are immutable, but may as yet be undefined.

@Cacheable({ cacheUndefined: false })
public async findGrumpiest(): Promise<Dwarf> {
}

Convenience (Direct Cache Access) Methods

Sometimes you need to be able to directly manipulate the cache outside the functionality provided by the @Cacheable() decorator. For example, when running tests, sometimes the caching can actually get in the way.

The convenience methods are:

Action	Purpose	GLOBAL	LOCAL_STORAGE	Arguments
Init	Initialise the entire cache	globalInit	localStorageInit	getStore function (LOCAL_STORAGE only)
Clear	Clear all cache entries for an object method	globalClear	localStorageClear	target object, method name
Delete	Delete a single cache entry	globalDelete	localStorageDelete	target object, method name, method args
Get	Get a cached value	globalGet	localStorageGet	target object, method name, method args
Set	Set a cached value	globalSet	localStorageSet	target object, method name, method args, value
Methods	Return cached methods for an object	globalMethods	localStorageMethods	target object
Keys	Return cached keys for an object method	globalKeys	localStorageKeys	target object, method

Please note if you call localStorageClear(someObject, someMethod) before initialising the cache (either explicitly with localStorageInit(getStore) or implicitly by calling a locally cached function), an exception with be thrown.

Example

Let's say we have the following method to retrieve an invoice from the database and optionally lock it:

    public async findById(id: string, forUpdate: boolean = false): Promise<Invoice> {
        const rows = await this.persistenceManager.query(
            `select * from invoice where id = $1${forUpdate ? ' for no key update' : ''}`,
            [id]
        );
        if (rows.length === 0) {
            throw AppError.with(ErrorCode.INVALID_INVOICE);
        }
        const invoice = this.fromDB(rows[0]);
        if (forUpdate) {
            invoice.captureBeforeUpdate();
        }
        return invoice;
    }

Obviously our code is never going to call this method more than once for a request, but just in case we make it cacheable with the local storage cache:

    @Cacheable({ scope: 'LOCAL_STORAGE', getStore: getStore })
    public async findById(id: string, forUpdate: boolean = false): Promise<Invoice> {
        const rows = await this.persistenceManager.query(
            `select * from invoice where id = $1${forUpdate ? ' for no key update' : ''}`,
            [id]
        );
        if (rows.length === 0) {
            throw AppError.with(ErrorCode.INVALID_INVOICE);
        }
        const invoice = this.fromDB(rows[0]);
        if (forUpdate) {
            invoice.captureBeforeUpdate();
        }
        return invoice;
    }

Then we think it would be a good idea if any call with forUpdate set to true would populate the cache for the same id value, but forUpdate set to false.

Note:

Because our method defines an argument with a default value (forUpdate) we need to set cache entries for both when the argument is populated explicitly and when it is populated by default:

    @Cacheable({ scope: 'LOCAL_STORAGE', getStore: getStore })
    public async findById(id: string, forUpdate: boolean = false): Promise<Invoice> {
        const rows = await this.persistenceManager.query(
            `select * from invoice where id = $1${forUpdate ? ' for no key update' : ''}`,
            [id]
        );
        if (rows.length === 0) {
            throw AppError.with(ErrorCode.INVALID_INVOICE);
        }
        const invoice = this.fromDB(rows[0]);
        if (forUpdate) {
            invoice.captureBeforeUpdate();
            localStorageSet(this, 'findById', [id], invoice);
            localStorageSet(this, 'findById', [id, false], invoice);
        }
        return invoice;
    }

We could do something similar in the update method. The update method itself would not use the @Cacheable() decorator but after the update completes it would directly populate/update the cache for the findById method to avoid any subsequent database round trip.

Be Involved

TypeScript Cacheable is maintained by TreviPay. The organization is an innovator in the fintech space and provides the leading B2B payment experience. We're hiring, by the way!

Contributions are very welcome.

LICENSE

TypeScript cacheable is licensed under Mozilla Public License 2.0