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Caching is an abstraction, not an optimization

(buttondown.com)
134 points samuel246 | 3 comments | 01 Jul 25 10:42 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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ckdot2 ◴[03 Jul 25 19:03 UTC] No.44458190[source]▶
"I think now caching is probably best understood as a tool for making software simpler" - that's cute. Caching might be beneficial for many cases, but if it doesn't do one thing then this is simplifying software. There's that famous quote "There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things.", and, sure, it's a bit ironical, but there's some truth in there.
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whateveracct ◴[03 Jul 25 19:24 UTC] No.44458365[source]▶
caching often does simplify software though when done well

and - as the OP suggests - it works best when the cache is a well-defined abstraction with properties and rules about how it works

just because "caching" is mentioned in a meme doesn't mean it can't be true that it can simplify software

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1. ckdot2 ◴[03 Jul 25 20:14 UTC] No.44458778[source]▶
That abstraction is another layer though. And additional layers are additional complexity. So, if you add another layer, the software is less simple than before. You might need to have caching in your software. I don't doubt that. But there's simply no way it makes the software more simple except if you assume some unfortunate starting point where you could get rid of any high-complex performance optimizations in your existing code by replacing them with a more simple cache solution. But then the statement should be "refactoring makes your code simpler".
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2. whateveracct ◴[03 Jul 25 21:40 UTC] No.44459415[source]▶
additional layers (or software in general) are not inherently additional complexity
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3. TeMPOraL ◴[03 Jul 25 21:53 UTC] No.44459477[source]▶
In some sense they are, since establishing an abstraction is strictly additive. Abstractions help manage complexity.