Cache not working as expected when using list(of integer)

's Computer Specifications

Hi,

Please can someone explain what is happeing here. I'm caching a list
of integers but they appear to dissapear when the original values are
changed even though there is no dependencies set up. Example code
below. Why does the cache dissapear?

<%@ Page Language="VB" %>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://
www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<script runat="server">

Dim my_int As Integer
Dim mylist As New List(Of Integer)
Dim myotherlist As New List(Of Integer)
Dim myfinallist As New List(Of Integer)

Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArgs)

Response.Write("Adding value to my_int - [my_int=42]<br />")
my_int = 42
Response.Write("caching value of my_int
[cache('my_cached_int')=my_int<br />")
Cache("my_cached_int") = my_int
Response.Write("Clearing value of my_int - [my_int=0]<br />")
my_int = 0
Response.Write("Getting value back from cache (I expect it
still to be 42)<br />")
Response.Write("My_cached_int = " &
Cache("my_cached_int").ToString & "<br />")
Response.Write("<br /><br />OK that works fine<br />")
Response.Write("This time use a 'list of' integers<br />")
Response.Write("mylist is a list(of integers)<br />")
Response.Write("Adding some values, 34,65,32<br />")
mylist.Add(34)
mylist.Add(65)
mylist.Add(32)
Response.Write("caching the list to 'my_cached_list'<br />")
Cache("my_cached_list") = mylist
Response.Write("retrieve the list and check count<br />")
myotherlist = Cache("my_cached_list")
Response.Write("got " & myotherlist.Count.ToString & " items
(as expected)<br />")
Response.Write("NOW..clear the original list, not the cache,
just the list [mylist.clear()] <br />")
mylist.Clear()
Response.Write("check the count of the cached list again <br /
>")
myfinallist = Cache("my_cached_list")
Response.Write("got " & myfinallist.Count.ToString & " items
(WHY HAS THE CACHE CHANGED??)<br />")

End Sub
</script>

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head runat="server">
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<div>

</div>
</form>
</body>
</html>

's Computer Specifications

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your response, this explains what is happening.

I'm stil a little confused though, my understanding was that I could
use cache to store data to improve performance, so storing only a
reference to that data seems of little value?

Is there a way to store the actual values of lists/arraylist to cache?
I have an arraylist that is compiled after making many queries to my
database, obviously I dont want to build this array every page
refresh, how do people generally cache in this situation?

Thanks again.

Mick

On 27 July, 10:43, "Brian Cryer" <not.here@localhost> wrote:
> "mick0987b" <miketaylo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:28804f08-79db-47e7-8e72-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi,
>
> > Please can someone explain what is happeing here. I'm caching a list
> > of integers but they appear to dissapear when the original values are
> > changed even though there is no dependencies set up. Example code
> > below. Why does the cache dissapear?
>
> > <%@ Page Language="VB" %>
>
> > <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://
> >www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
>
> > <script runat="server">
>
> > * *Dim my_int As Integer
> > * *Dim mylist As New List(Of Integer)
> > * *Dim myotherlist As New List(Of Integer)
> > * *Dim myfinallist As New List(Of Integer)
>
> > * *Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
> > System.EventArgs)
>
> > * * * *Response.Write("Adding value to my_int - [my_int=42]<br />")
> > * * * *my_int = 42
> > * * * *Response.Write("caching value of my_int
> > [cache('my_cached_int')=my_int<br />")
> > * * * *Cache("my_cached_int") = my_int
> > * * * *Response.Write("Clearing value of my_int *- [my_int=0]<br />")
> > * * * *my_int = 0
> > * * * *Response.Write("Getting value back from cache (I expect it
> > still to be 42)<br />")
> > * * * *Response.Write("My_cached_int = " &
> > Cache("my_cached_int").ToString & "<br />")
> > * * * *Response.Write("<br /><br />OK that works fine<br />")
> > * * * *Response.Write("This time use a 'list of' integers<br />")
> > * * * *Response.Write("mylist is a list(of integers)<br />")
> > * * * *Response.Write("Adding some values, 34,65,32<br />")
> > * * * *mylist.Add(34)
> > * * * *mylist.Add(65)
> > * * * *mylist.Add(32)
> > * * * *Response.Write("caching the list to 'my_cached_list'<br />")
> > * * * *Cache("my_cached_list") = mylist
> > * * * *Response.Write("retrieve the list and check count<br />")
> > * * * *myotherlist = Cache("my_cached_list")
> > * * * *Response.Write("got " & myotherlist.Count.ToString & " items
> > (as expected)<br />")
> > * * * *Response.Write("NOW..clear the original list, not the cache,
> > just the list [mylist.clear()] <br />")
> > * * * *mylist.Clear()
> > * * * *Response.Write("check the count of the cached list again<br /
> >>")
> > * * * *myfinallist = Cache("my_cached_list")
> > * * * *Response.Write("got " & myfinallist.Count.ToString & " items
> > (WHY HAS THE CACHE CHANGED??)<br />")
>
> I assume you get 0 here?
>
> This comes down to the difference between object types and non-object types.
> An integer is not an object type, so when you assign you are creating a new
> COPY of the integer. A list is an object so when you assign you are creating
> another REFERENCE to the same object.
>
> So the answer is that the cache hasn't changed, but you have changed the
> object.
>
> The cache does not store a copy of your list, but a reference to the object.
> So both the cache and "my_cache_list" both refer to the same object - not
> separate copies of it but the same object. Modify either one and you modify
> the same object. So where you have mylist.Clear() you could have replaced
> that with cache("my_cached_list").Clear(), because both refer to the same
> object in this case a list.
>
> This is why it behaves differently when you store an integer in the cache..
> With an integer is not an object so when you assign it to another variable
> or put it in the cache you are creating a separate copy of it. *This iswhy
> you could change it and the cached copy is different, because when dealing
> with integers its a cached COPY. When dealing with objects is a cached
> REFERENCE.
>
> If instead of your integer you used say Nullable(of Int) then I think you'd
> find it behaved the same way as with your list, because if you used
> Nullable(of Int) you are then passing around an object.
>
> Hope this helps.
> --
> *Brian Cryer
> *http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

's Computer Specifications

On 27 July, 17:34, "Brian Cryer" <not.here@localhost> wrote:
> "mick0987b" <miketaylo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:ec218b6a-4d91-493a-9e9c-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> > Hi Brian,
>
> > Thanks for your response, this explains what is happening.
>
> > I'm stil a little confused though, my understanding was that I could
> > use cache to store data to improve performance, so storing only a
> > reference to that data seems of little value?
>
> Because if you store it in the cache then (subject to it having been dropped
> from the cache etc) it will still be there on the next post-back. All the
> variables on a page need to be recreated on each postback, so by stickingit
> in the cache it is there for next time. Just be aware that it might have
> been removed from the cache, and that the cache is global - all sessions
> share the same cache. So as a rule don't store session specific information
> in the cache.
>
> > Is there a way to store the actual values of lists/arraylist to cache?
> > I have an arraylist that is compiled after making many queries to my
> > database, obviously I dont want to build this array every page
> > refresh, how do people generally cache in this situation?
>
> You probably don't want to, and that its using a reference is what you want.
> This means that it is available on the next post-back/page-refresh. The
> garbage collector will only destroy the list when the last reference to it
> has gone, so whilst a reference remains in the cache the list will remain..
>
> Does that help?
> --
> *Brian Cryer
> *http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian

Yes Brian, that helps a lot, my understanding of cache was slightly
off but I'm getting it now.
I just bookmarked your website, thank you for your time

Mick

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