PHP Caching Techniques

Definition : Memcached is a distributed, high-performance, in-memory caching system. It stores data in key-value pairs and is designed to provide quick access to cached data.

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// Connect to Memcached server
$memcached = new Memcached();
$memcached->addServer('localhost', 11211);

// Check if data is already cached
$cachedData = $memcached->get('my_key');

if ($cachedData === false) {
    // If data is not in cache, fetch it from the database
    $data = fetchDataFromDatabase();

    // Store the fetched data in the cache with an expiration time (e.g., 3600 seconds)
    $memcached->set('my_key', $data, 3600);
} else {
    // Data is available in cache; use it
    $data = $cachedData;
}

Definition : Redis is an open-source, advanced key-value store that supports various data structures like strings, lists, sets, and more. It is commonly used for caching, real-time analytics, and message brokering.

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// Connect to Redis server
$redis = new Redis();
$redis->connect('localhost', 6379);

// Check if data is already cached
$cachedData = $redis->get('my_key');

if ($cachedData === false) {
    // If data is not in cache, fetch it from the database
    $data = fetchDataFromDatabase();

    // Store the fetched data in Redis with an expiration time (e.g., 3600 seconds)
    $redis->set('my_key', serialize($data), 3600);
} else {
    // Data is available in cache; unserialize and use it
    $data = unserialize($cachedData);
}

• Both Memcached and Redis work similarly by storing data as key-value pairs.
• You need to connect to the caching server, set and retrieve data using specific methods (set, get), and specify an expiration time for cached data.
• If the data is not found in the cache, you fetch it from the original source (e.g., a database) and store it in the cache.
• Caching is typically used for data that doesn't change frequently and can be invalidated or refreshed based on a predetermined time or events.
• The use of caching can significantly improve application performance by reducing the load on slower data sources and decreasing response times.