Caching JS without changing the file name or clearing cache locally

Question

I'm working on a project, which has no way to implement versioning on my js files for cache.

Therefore I need a way to update users cache from the server side, if possible.

My thinking is that I can change the name of the js temporarily, then let the browser cache the new instance. Then I will revert the file name to what it was.

At this point does this mean that the browser will still have a cache of the old filename therefore loading the old js?

e.g.

example.js > changes to > example-new.js > browser caches this new js > revert the filename back to example.js > ...... what happens?

pavlos · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-05 11:04:48Z

2

If your case is to change js code on the server side and then make this changes available to the clients without the need of "clear cache" then do the following.

Instead of changing the filenames, reference them with an extra parameter, lets say using the version. So lets say you reference a js file "example.js" within your html,jsp .... page.

your tag should be like: (note the ?v1.1 at the end of the file url)

<script type="text/javascript" src="jslib/example.js?v1.1"></script>

Now next time you make changes to this file, reference it like:

<script type="text/javascript" src="jslib/example.js?v1.2"></script>

This will force client browser to get the new file instead of using the cached one.

answered May 5, 2016 at 11:04

pavlos

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2 Comments

Hemm K Over a year ago

If i was to then add a third step to your process above to change the name back to jslib/example.js?v1.1 what would this mean? Would the browser treat it as a brand new file? or would it have it still cached from the first time it was deployed to the server?

pavlos Over a year ago

Depends what is cached on the client. If user didnt use v1.2 and so v1.1 was cahced then the old v1.1 shall be used.

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