What is FIFO caching in Python and how can I implement it?

What is FIFO caching in Python and how can I implement it?

FIFO caching, or First-In-First-Out caching, is a method where the oldest data is removed first when the cache reaches its limit. You can implement it using a list or collections.deque in Python.

Can you show me a simple code example?

Sure! Here's a basic example using a list:

class FIFOCache:
    def __init__(self, capacity):
        self.cache = []
        self.capacity = capacity

    def add(self, item):
        if len(self.cache) >= self.capacity:
            self.cache.pop(0)  # Remove the oldest item
        self.cache.append(item)

    def get(self):
        return self.cache

How does this code handle cache misses?

In this simple implementation, there is no explicit handling for cache misses. You could add a method to check if an item is in the cache before adding it.

What are some alternatives to FIFO caching?

Alternatives include LRU (Least Recently Used) caching, LFU (Least Frequently Used) caching, and ARC (Adaptive Replacement Cache). Each has its own advantages depending on the use case.