What are the differences between FIFO caching and LRU caching?

What are the differences between FIFO caching and LRU caching?

FIFO (First In, First Out) caching removes the oldest item in the cache first, while LRU (Least Recently Used) removes the least recently accessed item. This means FIFO doesn't consider usage frequency, whereas LRU prioritizes keeping frequently accessed items.

Which one is more efficient for a web application?

It depends on the access patterns. LRU is generally more efficient for applications with repeated access to a small set of data, while FIFO can be simpler and faster for predictable access patterns.

Can you give an example of when to use each?

Sure! Use FIFO for streaming data where older data is less relevant, and LRU for caching database queries where recent data is more likely to be requested again.

What are the drawbacks of each caching strategy?

FIFO can lead to cache misses if older data is still needed, while LRU can be more complex and resource-intensive to implement due to tracking access patterns.