cherry-studio/docs/en/references/data/cache-usage.md

Cache Usage Guide

This guide covers how to use the Cache system in React components and services.

React Hooks

useCache (Memory Cache)

Memory cache is lost on app restart. Best for temporary computed results.

import { useCache } from '@data/hooks/useCache'

// Basic usage with default value
const [counter, setCounter] = useCache('ui.counter', 0)

// Update the value
setCounter(counter + 1)

// With TTL (30 seconds)
const [searchResults, setSearchResults] = useCache('search.results', [], { ttl: 30000 })

useSharedCache (Cross-Window Cache)

Shared cache syncs across all windows, lost on app restart.

import { useSharedCache } from '@data/hooks/useCache'

// Cross-window state
const [layout, setLayout] = useSharedCache('window.layout', defaultLayout)

// Sidebar state shared between windows
const [sidebarCollapsed, setSidebarCollapsed] = useSharedCache('ui.sidebar.collapsed', false)

usePersistCache (Persistent Cache)

Persist cache survives app restarts via localStorage.

import { usePersistCache } from '@data/hooks/useCache'

// Recent files list (survives restart)
const [recentFiles, setRecentFiles] = usePersistCache('app.recent_files', [])

// Search history
const [searchHistory, setSearchHistory] = usePersistCache('search.history', [])

CacheService Direct Usage

For non-React code or more control, use CacheService directly.

Memory Cache

import { cacheService } from '@data/CacheService'

// Type-safe (schema key)
cacheService.set('temp.calculation', result)
const result = cacheService.get('temp.calculation')

// With TTL (30 seconds)
cacheService.set('temp.calculation', result, 30000)

// Casual (dynamic key, manual type)
cacheService.setCasual<TopicCache>(`topic:${id}`, topicData)
const topic = cacheService.getCasual<TopicCache>(`topic:${id}`)

// Check existence
if (cacheService.has('temp.calculation')) {
  // ...
}

// Delete
cacheService.delete('temp.calculation')
cacheService.deleteCasual(`topic:${id}`)

Shared Cache

// Type-safe (schema key)
cacheService.setShared('window.layout', layoutConfig)
const layout = cacheService.getShared('window.layout')

// Casual (dynamic key)
cacheService.setSharedCasual<WindowState>(`window:${windowId}`, state)
const state = cacheService.getSharedCasual<WindowState>(`window:${windowId}`)

// Delete
cacheService.deleteShared('window.layout')
cacheService.deleteSharedCasual(`window:${windowId}`)

Persist Cache

// Schema keys only (no Casual methods for persist)
cacheService.setPersist('app.recent_files', recentFiles)
const files = cacheService.getPersist('app.recent_files')

// Delete
cacheService.deletePersist('app.recent_files')

Main Process Usage

Main process CacheService provides SharedCache for cross-window state management.

SharedCache in Main Process

import { cacheService } from '@main/data/CacheService'

// Type-safe (schema key) - matches Renderer's type system
cacheService.setShared('window.layout', layoutConfig)
const layout = cacheService.getShared('window.layout')

// With TTL (30 seconds)
cacheService.setShared('temp.state', state, 30000)

// Check existence
if (cacheService.hasShared('window.layout')) {
  // ...
}

// Delete
cacheService.deleteShared('window.layout')

Note: Main CacheService does NOT support Casual methods (getSharedCasual, etc.). Only schema-based type-safe access is available in Main process.

Sync Strategy

• Renderer → Main: When Renderer calls setShared(), it broadcasts to Main via IPC. Main updates its SharedCache and relays to other windows.
• Main → Renderer: When Main calls setShared(), it broadcasts to all Renderer windows.
• New Window Initialization: New windows fetch complete SharedCache state from Main via getAllShared(). Uses Main-priority override strategy for conflicts.

Type-Safe vs Casual Methods

Type-Safe Methods

• Use predefined keys from cache schema
• Full auto-completion and type inference
• Compile-time key validation

// Key 'ui.counter' must exist in schema
const [counter, setCounter] = useCache('ui.counter', 0)

Casual Methods

• Use dynamically constructed keys
• Require manual type specification via generics
• No compile-time key validation
• Cannot use keys that match schema patterns (including template keys)

// Dynamic key, must specify type
const topic = cacheService.getCasual<TopicCache>(`my.custom.key`)

// Compile error: cannot use schema keys with Casual methods
cacheService.getCasual('app.user.avatar')           // Error: matches fixed key
cacheService.getCasual('scroll.position:topic-123') // Error: matches template key

Template Keys

Template keys provide type-safe caching for dynamic key patterns. Define a template in the schema using ${variable} syntax, and TypeScript will automatically match and infer types for concrete keys.

Defining Template Keys

// packages/shared/data/cache/cacheSchemas.ts
export type UseCacheSchema = {
  // Fixed key
  'app.user.avatar': string

  // Template keys - use ${variable} for dynamic segments
  'scroll.position:${topicId}': number
  'entity.cache:${type}:${id}': EntityData
}

// Default values for templates (shared by all instances)
export const DefaultUseCache: UseCacheSchema = {
  'app.user.avatar': '',
  'scroll.position:${topicId}': 0,
  'entity.cache:${type}:${id}': { loaded: false }
}

Using Template Keys

// TypeScript infers the value type from schema
const [scrollPos, setScrollPos] = useCache('scroll.position:topic-123')
// scrollPos is inferred as `number`

const [entity, setEntity] = useCache('entity.cache:user:456')
// entity is inferred as `EntityData`

// Direct CacheService usage
cacheService.set('scroll.position:my-topic', 150)  // OK: value must be number
cacheService.set('scroll.position:my-topic', 'hi') // Error: type mismatch

Template Key Benefits

Feature	Fixed Keys	Template Keys	Casual Methods
Type inference	✅ Automatic	✅ Automatic	❌ Manual
Auto-completion	✅ Full	✅ Partial (prefix)	❌ None
Compile-time validation	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Dynamic IDs	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Default values	✅ Yes	✅ Shared per template	❌ No

When to Use Which

Scenario	Method	Example
Fixed cache keys	Type-safe	useCache('ui.counter')
Dynamic keys with known pattern	Template key	useCache('scroll.position:topic-123')
Entity caching by ID	Template key	get('entity.cache:user:456')
Completely dynamic keys	Casual	getCasual<T>(\unknown.pattern:${x}`)`
UI state	Type-safe	useSharedCache('window.layout')

Common Patterns

Caching Expensive Computations

function useExpensiveData(input: string) {
  const [cached, setCached] = useCache(`computed:${input}`, null)

  useEffect(() => {
    if (cached === null) {
      const result = expensiveComputation(input)
      setCached(result)
    }
  }, [input, cached, setCached])

  return cached
}

Cross-Window Coordination

// Window A: Update shared state
const [activeFile, setActiveFile] = useSharedCache('editor.activeFile', null)
setActiveFile(selectedFile)

// Window B: Reacts to change automatically
const [activeFile] = useSharedCache('editor.activeFile', null)
// activeFile updates when Window A changes it

Recent Items with Limit

const [recentItems, setRecentItems] = usePersistCache('app.recentItems', [])

const addRecentItem = (item: Item) => {
  setRecentItems(prev => {
    const filtered = prev.filter(i => i.id !== item.id)
    return [item, ...filtered].slice(0, 10) // Keep last 10
  })
}

Cache with Expiration Check

interface CachedData<T> {
  data: T
  timestamp: number
}

function useCachedWithExpiry<T>(key: string, fetcher: () => Promise<T>, maxAge: number) {
  const [cached, setCached] = useCache<CachedData<T> | null>(key, null)
  const [data, setData] = useState<T | null>(cached?.data ?? null)

  useEffect(() => {
    const isExpired = !cached || Date.now() - cached.timestamp > maxAge

    if (isExpired) {
      fetcher().then(result => {
        setCached({ data: result, timestamp: Date.now() })
        setData(result)
      })
    }
  }, [key, maxAge])

  return data
}

Adding New Cache Keys

Adding Fixed Keys

1. Add to Cache Schema

// packages/shared/data/cache/cacheSchemas.ts
export type UseCacheSchema = {
  // Existing keys...
  'myFeature.data': MyDataType
}

export const DefaultUseCache: UseCacheSchema = {
  // Existing defaults...
  'myFeature.data': { items: [], lastUpdated: 0 }
}

2. Define Value Type (if complex)

// packages/shared/data/cache/cacheValueTypes.ts
export interface MyDataType {
  items: string[]
  lastUpdated: number
}

3. Use in Code

// Now type-safe
const [data, setData] = useCache('myFeature.data')

Adding Template Keys

1. Add Template to Schema

// packages/shared/data/cache/cacheSchemas.ts
export type UseCacheSchema = {
  // Existing keys...
  // Template key with dynamic segment
  'scroll.position:${topicId}': number
}

export const DefaultUseCache: UseCacheSchema = {
  // Existing defaults...
  // Default shared by all instances of this template
  'scroll.position:${topicId}': 0
}

2. Use in Code

// TypeScript infers number from template pattern
const [scrollPos, setScrollPos] = useCache(`scroll.position:${topicId}`)

// Works with any string in the dynamic segment
const [pos1, setPos1] = useCache('scroll.position:topic-123')
const [pos2, setPos2] = useCache('scroll.position:conversation-abc')

Key Naming Convention

All keys (fixed and template) must follow the naming convention:

• Format: namespace.sub.key_name or namespace.key:${variable}
• Rules:
  • Start with lowercase letter
  • Use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores
  • Separate segments with dots (.)
  • Use colons (:) before template placeholders
• Examples:
  • ✅ app.user.avatar
  • ✅ scroll.position:${id}
  • ✅ cache.entity:${type}:${id}
  • ❌ UserAvatar (no dots)
  • ❌ App.User (uppercase)

Shared Cache Ready State

Renderer CacheService provides ready state tracking for SharedCache initialization sync.

import { cacheService } from '@data/CacheService'

// Check if shared cache is ready
if (cacheService.isSharedCacheReady()) {
  // SharedCache has been synced from Main
}

// Register callback when ready
const unsubscribe = cacheService.onSharedCacheReady(() => {
  // Called immediately if already ready, or when sync completes
  console.log('SharedCache ready!')
})

// Cleanup
unsubscribe()

Behavior notes:

• getShared() returns undefined before ready (expected behavior)
• setShared() works immediately and broadcasts to Main (Main updates its cache)
• Hooks like useSharedCache work normally - they set initial values and update when sync completes
• Main-priority override: when sync completes, Main's values override local values

Best Practices

1. Choose the right tier: Memory for temp, Shared for cross-window, Persist for survival
2. Use TTL for stale data: Prevent serving outdated cached values
3. Prefer type-safe keys: Add to schema when possible
4. Use template keys for patterns: When you have a recurring pattern (e.g., caching by ID), define a template key instead of using casual methods
5. Reserve casual for truly dynamic keys: Only use casual methods when the key pattern is completely unknown at development time
6. Clean up dynamic keys: Remove casual cache entries when no longer needed
7. Consider data size: Persist cache uses localStorage (limited to ~5MB)
8. Use absolute timestamps for sync: CacheSyncMessage uses expireAt (absolute Unix timestamp) for precise cross-window TTL sync