Cache frontends

A cache frontend is the public API for interacting with a cache. It defines which value types are accepted and how they are prepared for storage (for example serialization or compilation), while delegating persistence to the assigned backend. In everyday use, extensions should work with the frontend only — direct access to the caching backend is discouraged.

Caching frontend API

All caching frontends must implement the interface \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Cache\Frontend\FrontendInterface.

interface FrontendInterface

Fully qualified name: \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Cache\Frontend\FrontendInterface

Contract for a Cache (frontend)

public const PATTERN_ENTRYIDENTIFIER

'/^[a-zA-Z0-9_%\\-&]{1,250}$/', type string

Pattern an entry identifier must match.

public const PATTERN_TAG

'/^[a-zA-Z0-9_%\\-&]{1,250}$/', type string

Pattern a tag must match.

getIdentifier ( )

Returns this cache's identifier

Return description: The identifier for this cache

Returns: string

getBackend ( )

Returns the backend used by this cache

Return description: The backend used by this cache

Returns: \BackendInterface

set ( string $entryIdentifier, ?mixed $data, array $tags = [], ?int $lifetime = NULL)

Saves data in the cache.

param $entryIdentifier: Something which identifies the data - depends on concrete cache
param $data: The data to cache - also depends on the concrete cache implementation
param $tags: Tags to associate with this cache entry, default: []
param $lifetime: Lifetime of this cache entry in seconds. If NULL is specified, the default lifetime is used. "0" means unlimited lifetime., default: NULL

get ( string $entryIdentifier)

Finds and returns data from the cache.

param $entryIdentifier: Something which identifies the cache entry - depends on concrete cache

Returns: ?mixed

has ( string $entryIdentifier)

Checks if a cache entry with the specified identifier exists.

param $entryIdentifier: An identifier specifying the cache entry
Return description: TRUE if such an entry exists, FALSE if not

Returns: bool

remove ( string $entryIdentifier)

Removes the given cache entry from the cache.

param $entryIdentifier: An identifier specifying the cache entry
Return description: TRUE if such an entry exists, FALSE if not

Returns: bool

flush ( ): Removes all cache entries of this cache.

flushByTag ( string $tag)

Removes all cache entries of this cache which are tagged by the specified tag.

param $tag: The tag the entries must have

flushByTags ( array $tags)

Removes all cache entries of this cache which are tagged by any of the specified tags.

param $tags: List of tags

collectGarbage ( ): Does garbage collection

isValidEntryIdentifier ( string $identifier)

Checks the validity of an entry identifier. Returns TRUE if it's valid.

param $identifier: An identifier to be checked for validity

Returns: bool

isValidTag ( string $tag)

Checks the validity of a tag. Returns TRUE if it's valid.

param $tag: A tag to be checked for validity

Returns: bool

The specific cache frontend implementation migth offer additional methods.

Available cache frontend implementations

Two frontends are currently available. They primarily differ in the data types they accept and how values are handled before they are passed to the backend.

Variable frontend

This frontend accepts strings, arrays, and objects. Values are serialized before they are written to the caching backend.

It is implemented in \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Cache\Frontend\VariableFrontend.

Tip

The variable frontend is the most frequently used frontend and handles the widest range of data types.

PHP frontend

This frontend is specialized for caching executable PHP files. It adds the methods requireOnce() and require() to load a cached file directly. This is useful for extensions that generate PHP code at runtime, for example when heavy reflection or dynamic class construction is involved.

It is implemented in \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Cache\Frontend\PhpFrontend.

A backend used with the PHP frontend must implement \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Cache\Backend\PhpCapableBackendInterface. The file backend and the simple file backend currently fulfill this requirement.

In addition to the methods defined by \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Cache\Frontend\FrontendInterface, it provides:

requireOnce($entryIdentifier): Loads PHP code from the cache and require_once it right away.
require(string $entryIdentifier): Loads PHP code from the cache and require() it right away.

Unlike require_once(), require() is safe only when the cached code can be included multiple times within a single request. Files that declare classes, functions, or constants may trigger redeclaration errors.

Note

The PHP caching frontend can only be used to cache PHP files. It does not work with strings, arrays or objects. It is not intended as a page content cache.