Should web-browsers allow to clear(expire) cache programmatically?

Question

Currently browsers have incomplete caching implementation. It only allows to set expiration or keep immediate expiration. Important 3rd option to expire cache programmatically is missing. Without that 3rd option developers cannot deploy new version of code efficiently and reliably.

If they use 2nd option it is inefficient if they have framework of many small files. Combining many small files into one is not efficient because any small change will cause whole framework to be deployed instead of one single file.

If they use 1st option updates will not get to user until cache expiration which creates compatibility problems between server side code and client side code and potentially between different parts of client side code. Setting expiration requires prediction of future deployment, which is inconvenient and will disallow quick bug fixes.

When people ask about that problem, some suggest to use version numbers or other temporary ids to trick browser cache by loading unique URLs. The problem with it is that it puts unnecessary overhead on network and local file system to load and store unnecessary old versions and tons of unique URLs. It almost defeats the purpose of caching by URL. The right solution is to allow programmer of a web site to clean cache of files that came only from that web site. That way list of updated files could be requested and cache of newer files would be cleaned to allow browser to load fresh versions.

Proper caching mechanism is simple and powerful pattern that could boost all web client-side development to new levels, I only wonder why browser producers did not implement it yet.

Answer 1

Hehe, well, as far as us developers are concerned, of course!

On the other hand, cache is there to facilitate the user's experience in terms of responsiveness. It is our responsibility to work-around all these nuisances and protect the user in a shell of ignorance and all-is-wellness.