read-cache

library1.0.0jsnpmunverified

Minimalistic library (v1.0.0, stable) that reads a file into memory and caches its contents, invalidating the cache when the file's modification time changes. Returns promises (async) and offers sync variants. No dependencies, ESM/CJS compatible. Key differentiator: automatic cache invalidation via stat() on every read, avoiding stale data without explicit TTL or watchers. Suitable for small config files or one-shot reads where performance is not critical.

storage

npm install read-cache

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · READ-CACHE

read-cache

storagejavascriptv1.0.0

harness data pending

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

No compatibility data collected yet for this library.

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

readCache

✓ import readCache from 'read-cache'

✗ const readCache = require('read-cache')

Package uses CommonJS but also works with ESM default import in bundlers like Webpack, Rollup, or TypeScript with esModuleInterop.

readCache.sync

✓ import readCache from 'read-cache'; readCache.sync('file.txt')

✗ import { sync } from 'read-cache'

sync is a method on the default export, not a named export.

readCache.clear

✓ import readCache from 'read-cache'; readCache.clear()

✗ import { clear } from 'read-cache'

clear is a method on the default export, not a named export.

Shows async file read with caching, retrieving cached content, and clearing the cache.

import readCache from 'read-cache'; async function main() { const content = await readCache('example.txt', 'utf8'); console.log('File content:', content); // Cached version (fast) const cached = readCache.get('example.txt'); console.log('Cached:', cached); // Clear cache readCache.clear(); } main().catch(console.error);

Debug

Known issues

gotchaCache is not persistent across process restarts. It only caches in memory for the lifetime of the Node.js process.

fix

Use a persistent caching mechanism (e.g., redis, fs) if cross-process caching is needed.

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaFile stat check on every read adds overhead; for high-frequency reads, consider using fs.watch or manual caching.

fix

If reading many files rapidly, use a dedicated cache with change detection (e.g., chokidar).

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaEncoding parameter defaults to null (Buffer) if not specified; be explicit with encoding to get a string.

fix

Always pass 'utf8' (or desired encoding) when expecting string output.

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchareadCache.sync throws synchronously if file does not exist; wrap in try-catch.

fix

Use try-catch: try { const data = readCache.sync('path'); } catch (err) { ... }

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaThe cache never expires except on file modification via mtime; if mtime does not change, stale data may be served.

fix

Ensure file mtime updates on content change, or call clear() after writes.

affects: >=0.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: readCache.sync is not a function

Importing sync as a named import instead of accessing it as a method on the default export.

fix

Use: import readCache from 'read-cache'; readCache.sync('file')

Cannot find module 'read-cache'

Package not installed or not in node_modules

fix

Run: npm install read-cache

TypeError: readCache(...).then is not a function

readCache.sync returns a value, not a promise; .then used on sync call.

fix

Use readCache (async) or readCache.sync for synchronous retrieval.

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory

File does not exist at given path

fix

Check path or use try-catch with readCache.sync.

Upgrade

Version history

1.0.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

30 hits · last 30 days

node

Amazon

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/TrySound/read-cache ↗

packageread-cache ↗

homepagehttps://github.com/TrySound/read-cache#readme ↗