How can I implement caching in my Express API?

How can I implement caching in my Express API?

You can use middleware like apicache or node-cache to cache responses in your Express API.

What are the benefits of caching in an API?

Caching can significantly reduce response times and server load, improving overall performance.

Can you show me a code example using apicache?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

const express = require('express');
const apicache = require('apicache');

const app = express();
const cache = apicache.middleware;

app.get('/data', cache('5 minutes'), (req, res) => {
    // Simulate a slow database call
    setTimeout(() => {
        res.json({ message: 'This is cached data!' });
    }, 2000);
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Server running on port 3000');
});

This caches the response for 5 minutes.

What happens if the cached data becomes stale?

You can set up cache invalidation strategies, like time-based expiration or manual invalidation when data changes.