tinycache

library1.1.2jsnpmunverified

TinyCache is a minimal in-memory cache library for Node.js and the browser (~1.5 KB minified). Current stable version is 1.1.2. It provides a simple key-value store with optional TTL expiration, cache size/memory size tracking, hit/miss counters, and a shared singleton cache. The API is straightforward, inspired by node-cache but smaller in footprint. Heavier alternatives include node-cache or lru-cache which offer more features like LRU eviction and persistent backends. TinyCache is ideal for lightweight caching needs where simplicity and size are priorities.

storage

npm install tinycache

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · TINYCACHE

tinycache

storagejavascriptv1.1.2

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.

TinyCache

✓ import TinyCache from 'tinycache'

✗ const TinyCache = require('tinycache')

ESM import since v1.1.0; default export is the class. In CJS, require returns the same.

shared

✓ import { shared } from 'tinycache'

✗ const shared = require('tinycache').shared

Shared cache instance as named export in ESM; also accessible via TinyCache.shared.

TinyCache (CJS)

✓ const TinyCache = require('tinycache')

✗ const TinyCache = require('tinycache').default

CJS require returns the default export (class). No .default needed.

Demonstrates creation, put/get with TTL, shared cache, deletion, clearing, and stats.

import TinyCache from 'tinycache'; const cache = new TinyCache(); // store a value with default TTL (no expiry) cache.put('key', 'value'); // store a value with TTL of 100 ms cache.put('shortlived', 'bye', 100); // retrieve a value console.log(cache.get('key')); // 'value' // after 200ms, shortlived is auto-removed setTimeout(() => { console.log(cache.get('shortlived')); // undefined }, 200); // shared cache usage import { shared } from 'tinycache'; shared.put('sharedKey', 42); console.log(shared.get('sharedKey')); // 42 // get all keys (returns internal object if no key) console.log(cache.get()); // { key: 'value' } // delete a key cache.del('key'); // clear all cache.clear(); // stats console.log(cache.size); // 0 console.log(cache.hits); // number of successful gets console.log(cache.misses); // number of failed gets

Debug

Known issues

breakingIn version 1.0.0, size, memsize, hits, and misses changed from methods to properties (getters). Using .size() or .memsize() will throw an error.

fix

Access as properties: cache.size, cache.memsize, cache.hits, cache.misses.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaCache.put with time=0 or negative values may not expire as expected; time is passed directly to setTimeout.

fix

Use time > 0 for expiry. To store without expiry, omit time argument.

affects: *

gotchaCalling cache.get() with no arguments returns the internal cache object instead of undefined. This can lead to accidental global state exposure.

fix

Always provide a key argument to get(). For debugging, explicitly use cache.get() only when intended.

affects: >=1.1.0

deprecatedThe library has been in maintenance mode since at least 2015; no new features or bug fixes expected.

fix

Consider migrating to actively maintained alternatives like node-cache or lru-cache for new projects.

affects: >=1.1.2

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: cache.size is not a function

In v1.0.0+, size is a getter, not a method. Calling cache.size() fails.

fix

Use cache.size (no parentheses).

Cannot find module 'js-sizeof'

Missing dependency js-sizeof which is required for memsize calculation.

fix

Run npm install js-sizeof or npm install tinycache (it should install as a dependency).

TinyCache is not a constructor

Using ESM import with CJS-style require in a module environment where default export is not expected.

fix

Use import TinyCache from 'tinycache' in ESM, or const TinyCache = require('tinycache') in CJS.

TypeError: shared.put is not a function

Importing shared as default instead of named export.

fix

Use import { shared } from 'tinycache'.

Upgrade

Version history

1.1.2latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

js-sizeofoptionalUsed for rough memory size estimation

Agent activity

28 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubgit://github.com/andyburke/tinycache ↗

packagetinycache ↗

homepagehttps://github.com/andyburke/tinycache#readme ↗