Comments on: Flash loading and browser cache test-suite http://www.blog.lessrain.com/flash-loading-and-browser-cache-test-suite/ Lessrain Blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:01:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Thomas http://www.blog.lessrain.com/flash-loading-and-browser-cache-test-suite/#comment-137447 Thomas Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:35:07 +0000 http://www.blog.lessrain.com/flash-loading-and-browser-cache-test-suite/#comment-137447 <p>@Devin: thanks for adding your explanation and completing the post. It's a valid and practical solution to prevent caching, especially if you don't have access to the back-end. However if you want to leave cache control in the hands of the back-end and your browser you have to be be aware of the behavior of cache control headers - that's what I dedicated this post to.</p> <p>I think it's the cleaner and more flexible solution to control caching in the back-end, without creating "hacks" in the front-end. Imagine data services that serve different front-ends- you'll have to tell every developer to append timestamps, where your back-end should be responsible of defining when data ought to be be refreshed.</p> @Devin: thanks for adding your explanation and completing the post. It’s a valid and practical solution to prevent caching, especially if you don’t have access to the back-end. However if you want to leave cache control in the hands of the back-end and your browser you have to be be aware of the behavior of cache control headers - that’s what I dedicated this post to.

I think it’s the cleaner and more flexible solution to control caching in the back-end, without creating “hacks” in the front-end. Imagine data services that serve different front-ends- you’ll have to tell every developer to append timestamps, where your back-end should be responsible of defining when data ought to be be refreshed.

]]> By: Devin http://www.blog.lessrain.com/flash-loading-and-browser-cache-test-suite/#comment-137438 Devin Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:49:48 +0000 http://www.blog.lessrain.com/flash-loading-and-browser-cache-test-suite/#comment-137438 <p>I have also ran into this problem in an application I have worked on. Since using headers works inconstantly. I find just adding a timestamp to the url is the easy way of dealing with this problem. (I notice you do not mention that in these two blogs, but it is in the Browser cache test-suite). For those who do not know what I am talking about here is a quick run down.</p> <p>What you can do is add a timestamp onto your url in the query string. Ex: var url:String = "www.google.com?timestamp=" + new Date().getTime();</p> <p>This will add the number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970, to the end of the query string.</p> <p>When IE caches any file it caches the query string part also. So the next time the url is called the timestamp is different so IE treats it like a brand new file. This is also the only way of doing things if you do not have control of the headers on the dynamic XML.</p> I have also ran into this problem in an application I have worked on. Since using headers works inconstantly. I find just adding a timestamp to the url is the easy way of dealing with this problem.
(I notice you do not mention that in these two blogs, but it is in the Browser cache test-suite). For those who do not know what I am talking about here is a quick run down.

What you can do is add a timestamp onto your url in the query string.
Ex: var url:String = “www.google.com?timestamp=” + new Date().getTime();

This will add the number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970, to the end of the query string.

When IE caches any file it caches the query string part also. So the next time the url is called the timestamp is different so IE treats it like a brand new file. This is also the only way of doing things if you do not have control of the headers on the dynamic XML.

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