Client-side caching refers to the practice of storing frequently accessed data on the client’s device rather than the server. This type of caching can help improve the performance of an application by reducing the number of times the client needs to request data from the server.
One common example of client-side caching is web browsers caching frequently accessed web pages and resources. When a user visits a web page, the browser stores a copy of the page and its resources (such as images, stylesheets, and scripts) in the browser’s cache. If the user visits the same page again, the browser can retrieve the cached version of the page and its resources instead of requesting them from the server, which can reduce the load time of the page.
Another example of client-side caching is application-level caching. Some applications, such as mobile apps, can cache data on the client’s device to improve performance and reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred over the network.
Client side caching has some advantages like reducing server load, faster page load times, and reducing network traffic. However, it also has some drawbacks like the potential for stale data if the client-side cache is not properly managed, or consuming memory or disk space on the client’s device.