The Motive Web Design Glossary

cache, cached files, caching

When a webpage is viewed, the files that make-up the page are copied (downloaded) to your computer.

To make it faster to view webpages, a web browser can store or cache these files. Once files are in-cache, the browser no longer needs to download them each time the webpage is viewed, it simply uses ‘the ones it prepared earlier’.

Cache preferences

You can control and change what your web browser does with files it downloads from the cache preferences.

You can set the amount of space on your computer (memory) that should used for storing downloaded files. You can also set how often cached files should be cleared.

Although accessing files from cache is faster than from a remote server, it can result in version control issues.

Related terms: bandwidth, broadband, download/upload, server, web browser.

Clearing cached files

To ensure that you are veiwing the most recent version of a webpage, you can manually clear the web browser cache.

Internet Explorer 6.xx [PC/WIN]

1. From the menu at the top of your screen, select:
   Tools > Internet Options: |General|
2. From the “Temporary Internet files” panel, click [Delete Files].
3. In the “Delete Files” dialogue box: check/select “Delete all offline content”; click [OK].
4. Close, and then restart Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 7.xx [PC/WIN]

1. From the menu at the top of your screen, select:
   Tools > Internet Options: |General|.
2. Under the heading ‘Browsing history’,
   click the button [Delete…].
3. Next to the heading ‘Temporary Internet Files’,
   click the button [Delete files…].
4. In the Alert box ‘Delete Files’,
   click the button [Yes].
5. Close the myriad of dialogue boxes until you get back to your browser window.
6. Exit, then reopen Internet Explorer.

Mozilla Firefox [PC/WIN]

1. From the menu at the top of your screen, select:
   Tools > Advanced: |Network|.
2. From the “Cache” panel, click [Clear Now].
3. Click [OK] (bottom of the window).
4. Click the Refresh button in the web browser tool bar.
5. Close and then restart Firefox.

Netscape Navigator 6.xx [PC/WIN]

1. From the menu at the top of your screen, select:
   Edit > Preferences.
2. Click the arrow next to the “Advanced” drop down menu in the left panel.
3. Click the “Cache” menu item.
4. Click [Clear Memory Cache] and [Clear Disk Cache].
5. Exit and then restart Netscape Navigator.

References and further reading

• The PHP Anthology Volume 2, Chapter 5 - Caching (Harry Fuecks, Sitepoint)
  The speed efficiencies achieved by caching web pages can become a liability when creating a dynamic website.
• Preventing Safari from caching a dynamic webpage (Safari Developer FAQ)
  Frame-based pages are never stored in the back / forward cache. You can insure your non-frame based page behaves similarly by adding an invisible iframe.

Motive Web Design Glossary Trivia