DotNetXtensions.DCache

DotNetXtensions.DCache

High-performance caching types for .NET 8+

• CacheDictionary: Thread-safe in-memory cache dictionary with automatic time-based expiration
• DCache: Allows an IDistributedCache to look and act like a simple in-memory typed dictionary, with dual-layer caching

Installation

dotnet add package DotNetXtensions.DCache

CacheDictionary

📖 Full Documentation

// Items auto-expire after 5 minutes
CacheDictionary<string, User> cache = new(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
cache["user123"] = new User { Name = "Alice" };

if (cache.TryGetValue("user123", out User user))
    WriteLine(user.Name);

Features

• Time-Based Expiration: Items automatically expire after a set duration
• Thread-Safe: Built on ConcurrentDictionary for safe concurrent access
• High Performance: Minimal overhead on normal Get/Set operations
• Passive Purging: Expired items are removed intelligently without requiring external timers
• Guaranteed Fresh Data: Expired items are never returned, even if still present internally
• Automatic Disposal: Optional automatic disposal of IDisposable cached values

DCache

📖 Full Documentation

// Combines L1 (memory) + L2 (distributed) caching
DCache<User, string> cache = new(distributedCache);
await cache.SetAsync("user123", user);

User retrieved = await cache.GetAsync("user123");

Features

1. Simplicity: With little effort or boilerplate, an IDistributedCache looks and acts like a simple in-memory typed dictionary
2. Dual-Layer Caching: Combines fast (optional) in-memory caching (L1) with distributed caching (L2) for optimal performance
3. Automatic Serialization: Handles JSON serialization/deserialization transparently using System.Text.Json
4. Simplified API: Reduces boilerplate code for common caching patterns with typed keys and values

When to Use Which?