@rangojs/router 0.0.0-experimental.2 → 0.0.0-experimental.20dbba0c

package/skills/cache-guide/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: cache-guide
+description: When to use cache() DSL vs "use cache" directive — key differences and decision guide
+argument-hint:
+---
+
+# cache() vs "use cache" — When to Use Which
+
+Both mechanisms share the same backing store, cache profiles, and tag-based
+invalidation. They differ in scope, cache key, execution model, and runtime control.
+
+## Key Differences
+
+|                      | `cache()` DSL                                         | `"use cache"` directive                            |
+| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
+| **Scope**            | Route segment tree (handler + children + parallels)   | Single function return value                       |
+| **Defined at**       | Route definition site (`urls.ts`)                     | Inside function body or at file top                |
+| **Cache key**        | Request type + pathname + params (+ optional custom)  | Function identity + serialized non-tainted args    |
+| **Execution on hit** | All-or-nothing: entire handler skipped                | Partial: function body skipped, calling code runs  |
+| **Runtime control**  | `condition` to disable, custom `key` function         | None — if the directive is present, it caches      |
+| **Side effects**     | No guards needed — handler doesn't run on hit         | `ctx.header()`, `ctx.set()`, etc. throw at runtime |
+| **Handle data**      | Captured and replayed                                 | Captured and replayed                              |
+| **Loaders**          | Always fresh — excluded from cache, opt-in per loader | Can be used inside loaders                         |
+| **Nesting**          | Nest `cache()` boundaries with different TTLs         | Compose by calling cached functions from uncached  |
+
+### cache() Cache Key
+
+The key is `{requestType}:{pathname}:{params}` where requestType is one of
+`doc:`, `partial:`, or `intercept:`. This means the same URL cached separately
+for full document loads, client navigations, and intercept navigations.
+
+Custom `key` functions can segment the cache further (e.g., by user role or locale).
+`condition` can disable caching entirely at runtime (e.g., skip for authenticated users).
+
+### "use cache" Cache Key
+
+The key is `use-cache:{functionId}:{serializedArgs}` where functionId is a stable
+ID from the Vite transform (module path + export name) and args are serialized via
+RSC `encodeReply()`. Tainted arguments (ctx, env, req) are excluded.
+
+## Execution Model
+
+This is the most important distinction.
+
+### cache() — all-or-nothing
+
+On cache hit, the cache-lookup middleware short-circuits the entire pipeline.
+No handler code runs. On miss, all handlers execute normally and segments are
+stored.
+
+```
+HIT  → cached segments served, loaders resolved fresh, no handler runs
+MISS → all handlers run, segments cached, response built normally
+```
+
+Headers, cookies, and ctx.set() calls inside handlers naturally don't execute on
+hit. There is no partial execution, so no runtime guards are needed.
+
+### "use cache" — partial execution
+
+Only the wrapped function body is skipped on hit. The code that calls the
+cached function still runs. This means ctx side effects inside the cached body
+would silently disappear on hit.
+
+```
+HIT  → function body skipped, calling code runs, handle data replayed
+MISS → function body runs, return value + handle data cached
+```
+
+Runtime guards throw if you call cookies(), headers(), ctx.header(), ctx.set(),
+ctx.onResponse(), ctx.setTheme(), or ctx.setLocationState() inside a "use cache"
+function. cookies() and headers() are blocked because per-request data is not in the
+cache key. Side-effect methods are blocked because their effects are lost on hit.
+Use ctx.use(Handle) instead for data — handle data is captured and replayed.
+
+## When to Use cache()
+
+Use the route-level `cache()` DSL when:
+
+- **Caching entire routes or sections** — wrap a set of paths with one TTL.
+- **You need runtime control** — disable caching for authenticated users with
+  `condition`, or segment cache keys by user/locale with `key`.
+- **UI rendering is expensive** — the cached segments include the rendered
+  component tree, skipping RSC rendering on hit.
+- **You want one cache entry per URL** — keyed on pathname + params, not on
+  function arguments.
+
+```typescript
+export const urlpatterns = urls(({ path, cache }) => [
+  cache({ ttl: 300, condition: (ctx) => !ctx.get("user") }, () => [
+    path("/blog", BlogIndex, { name: "blog" }),
+    path("/blog/:slug", BlogPost, { name: "blogPost" }),
+  ]),
+]);
+```
+
+## When to Use "use cache"
+
+Use the `"use cache"` directive when:
+
+- **Caching a specific data fetch** — one database query used across multiple
+  routes or components.
+- **Different call sites need different cache entries** — the cache key includes
+  all non-tainted arguments, so `getProduct("a")` and `getProduct("b")` cache
+  separately.
+- **Fine-grained caching within a handler** — cache the expensive part, keep
+  ctx side effects outside.
+- **Caching an RSC component** — a component that fetches its own data can cache
+  its entire render.
+
+```typescript
+async function getProductData(slug: string) {
+  "use cache: short";
+  return await db.query("SELECT * FROM products WHERE slug = ?", [slug]);
+}
+
+// Handler calls cached function, sets headers outside
+async function ProductPage(ctx) {
+  const data = await getProductData(ctx.params.slug);
+  ctx.header("X-Product", data.id);
+  return <Product data={data} />;
+}
+```
+
+## Combining Both
+
+They compose naturally. Use `cache()` for the route boundary and `"use cache"`
+for shared data functions:
+
+```typescript
+// urls.tsx — route-level cache for the rendered segment tree
+cache({ ttl: 60 }, () => [
+  path("/product/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }),
+]);
+
+// data.ts — function-level cache for the database query
+export async function getProductData(slug: string) {
+  "use cache: long";
+  return await db.query("SELECT * FROM products WHERE slug = ?", [slug]);
+}
+```
+
+On cache hit for the route, the handler doesn't run and `getProductData` is never
+called. On cache miss, the handler runs and `getProductData` may itself return a
+cached value from a previous call with the same slug.
+
+## Headers and Cookies
+
+Neither mechanism caches response headers or cookies.
+
+- **cache()**: Headers set by handlers are naturally absent on hit because no
+  handler runs. If you need headers on every response, set them in middleware
+  (which runs before cache lookup).
+- **"use cache"**: cookies() and headers() throw inside the cached function
+  (both reads and writes). ctx.header() also throws. Move them outside.
+
+```typescript
+// Set headers that must appear on every response in middleware
+middleware(async (ctx, next) => {
+  ctx.header("X-Frame-Options", "DENY");
+  await next();
+});
+```
+
+## Context Variable Cache Safety
+
+Context variables created with `createVar()` are cacheable by default and can
+be read freely inside `cache()` and `"use cache"` scopes. Non-cacheable vars
+throw at read time to prevent request-specific data from being captured.
+
+There are two ways to mark a value as non-cacheable:
+
+```typescript
+// Var-level policy — inherently request-specific data
+const Session = createVar<SessionData>({ cache: false });
+
+// Write-level escalation — this specific write is non-cacheable
+ctx.set(Theme, derivedTheme, { cache: false });
+```
+
+"Least cacheable wins": if either the var definition or the `ctx.set()` call
+specifies `cache: false`, the value is non-cacheable.
+
+**Behavior inside cache scopes:**
+
+| Operation                           | Inside `cache()` / `"use cache"` |
+| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
+| `ctx.get(cacheableVar)`             | Allowed                          |
+| `ctx.get(nonCacheableVar)`          | Throws                           |
+| `ctx.set(var, value)` (cacheable)   | Allowed                          |
+| `ctx.header()`, `ctx.cookie()`, etc | Throws (response side effects)   |
+
+Write is dumb — `ctx.set()` stores the cache metadata but does not enforce.
+Enforcement happens at read time (`ctx.get()`), where ALS detects the cache
+scope and rejects non-cacheable reads.
+
+## Loaders Are Always Fresh
+
+Loaders are **never cached** by route-level `cache()`. Even on a full cache hit
+where all UI segments are served from cache, loaders are re-resolved fresh on
+every request. This is enforced at two levels:
+
+1. **Storage**: `cacheRoute()` filters out loader segments before serialization
+   (`segments.filter(s => s.type !== "loader")`).
+2. **Retrieval**: On cache hit, `resolveLoadersOnly()` runs after yielding cached
+   UI segments, ensuring fresh data regardless of cache state.
+
+This means `cache()` gives you cached UI + fresh data by default. To also cache
+a loader's data, explicitly opt in with `loader(Fn, () => [cache({...})])`.
+
+## cache() Placement Patterns
+
+### Wrapping children of a path
+
+An orphan `cache()` inside a path's children becomes the parent for all
+subsequent siblings. Everything below the cache boundary is cached as one unit:
+
+```typescript
+path("/dashboard", DashboardPage, { name: "dashboard" }, () => [
+  cache("long"),
+  layout(DashboardSidebar, () => [
+    parallel("@stats", StatsPanel),
+    parallel("@activity", ActivityFeed),
+  ]),
+]),
+```
+
+On hit: DashboardPage, DashboardSidebar, StatsPanel, and ActivityFeed are all
+served from cache. On miss: all handlers run, all segments cached together.
+
+### Uncached layout with cached children
+
+The cache boundary only covers what's inside it. Parent segments above the
+boundary are not cached and always re-render:
+
+```typescript
+layout(RootLayout, () => [
+  // RootLayout is NOT cached — runs every request
+  path("/products/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }, () => [
+    cache("long"),
+    layout(ProductSidebar),
+    parallel("@reviews", ReviewsPanel),
+    parallel("@related", RelatedProducts),
+  ]),
+]),
+```
+
+RootLayout renders fresh every request. ProductPage, ProductSidebar,
+ReviewsPanel, and RelatedProducts are all inside the cache boundary and
+served from cache on hit. This is useful when the root layout depends on
+request-specific data (user session, theme) but the product content is
+cacheable.
+
+### Loader-level caching
+
+Loaders are excluded from route-level `cache()` by default — they always
+resolve fresh. To opt a specific loader into caching, give it its own
+`cache()` child:
+
+```typescript
+path("/product/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }, () => [
+  // This loader is cached for 5 minutes
+  loader(ProductLoader, () => [cache({ ttl: 300 })]),
+
+  // This loader is always fresh
+  loader(CartLoader),
+]),
+```
+
+This attaches the cache config directly to the loader entry. The loader's
+data is cached independently from the route's segment cache. Loader caching
+supports custom keys, tags, SWR, conditional bypass, and per-loader store
+overrides — see `/loader` for the full reference.
+
+## Decision Flowchart
+
+1. Do you want to cache an entire route or group of routes?
+   **Yes** -> `cache()`
+2. Do you need runtime conditions (skip for auth users, key by locale)?
+   **Yes** -> `cache()` with `condition` / `key`
+3. Do you want to cache a data fetch shared across routes?
+   **Yes** -> `"use cache"`
+4. Do you need different cache entries for different arguments?
+   **Yes** -> `"use cache"` (keyed by args)
+5. Is the expensive part rendering, not data fetching?
+   **Yes** -> `cache()` (caches rendered segments)
+6. Is the expensive part a single query inside a larger handler?
+   **Yes** -> `"use cache"` on the query function
+
+## See Also
+
+- `/caching` — cache() DSL setup, stores, nested boundaries
+- `/use-cache` — "use cache" directive details, profiles, transforms, guards
+- `/document-cache` — Edge caching with Cache-Control headers (different layer)