Cache::Bounded - A size-aware in-memory cache optimized for speed - v 1.03

Cache::Bounded is designed for caching items into memory in a very fast but rudimentarily size-aware fashion.

To install this module type the following:

perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install

Most intelligent caches take either a size-aware or use-aware approach. They do so by either anlysing the size of all the elements in the cache or their frequency of usage before determining which elements to drop from the cache. Unfortunately, the processing overhead for this logic (usually applied on insert) will often slow these caches singnificantly when frequent insertions are needed.

This module was designed address when this speed-penalty becomes a problem. Specifically, it is a rudimentarily size-aware cache that is optimized to be very fast.

For its size analysis, this module merely checks the number of elements in the cache against a raw size limit. (The default limit is 500,000) Additionally, to aid speed, the "size" check doesn't occur on every insertion. Only after a count of a certain number of insertions (default 1,000) is the size check performed. If the size limit has been exceeded, the entire cache is purged. (Since there is no usage analysis, there is no other logical depreciation that can be applied)

This produces a very fast in-memory cache that you can tune to approximate size based upon your data elements.

my $cache = new Cache::Bounded;

      $cache->set($key,$value);
      my $value = $cache->get($key);

Methods
new($ref)

my $cache = new Cache::Bounded ({ interval=>1000 size=>500000 });

Instances the object as is typical with an OO module. You may also pass a hashref with configurations to tune the cache.

Configurable values are:

interval

        The number of inserts before the size of the cache is checked.
        Setting this to a lower number reduces the "sloppiness" of the size
        limit. However, it also slows cache inserts.

        The default of this value is 1,000.

size

        The number of entries allowed in the cache. Once this is exceeded
        the cache will be purged at the next size check.

        The default of this value is 500,000.

get($key)
Returns the cached value associated with the given key. If no value has been cached foe that key, the retruned value is undefined.

set($key,$value)
Caches the given value for the given key. The cache size is checked during the set method. If a purge occurs, the value is cached post-purge.

Memory Allocation
Due to perl's methodology of allocating memory, you will not see memory freed back to general usage until perl exits after instancing this module. On each purge of the internal cache, the memory is retained by perl and reallocated internally as the cache grows again.

Consequently after the initial population and purge of the cache, the memory allocated should be of a relatively constant size.

Scalar Values
In the name of speed, there is no checking to see if the data being stored is complex or not. Technically you should be able to store complex memory structures, though this module is not designed for it and the ability is not guarenteed.

Use scalar data.

Cache::Bounded v1.01 2004/04/02

(c) 2004, Phillip Pollard <bennie@cpan.org> Released under the Perl Artistic License

Derived from Cache::Sloppy v1.3 2004/03/02 With permission granted from Health Market Science, Inc.