Explanation:
When the inspector cache is evicted, it means that the content stored in the inspector cache is removed or cleared.
The inspector cache is a feature in web browsers that stores various resources like stylesheets, scripts, images, etc. for faster access and improved performance. These resources are downloaded once and cached, so subsequent requests can be served from the cache instead of fetching them from the server every time.
However, there are cases where the inspector cache needs to be evicted:
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Cache Limit:
The browser has a cache limit, and when it reaches the maximum capacity, it needs to remove some content to make space for new resources. In this case, the least recently used items in the cache are evicted. This ensures that the most frequently accessed content stays in the cache.
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Cache Expiration:
Some resources have an expiration time defined by the server through HTTP headers. When the expiration time is reached, the browser removes the content from the cache and retrieves a fresh copy from the server. This ensures that the browser always serves the latest version of the resource.
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User Action:
Users can manually clear their browser cache, which removes all the stored content, including the inspector cache. This option is often used when troubleshooting website issues or to ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date version of a webpage.
Here are a few examples:
- Cache Limit Example: Suppose a browser has a cache limit of 10 MB, and the total size of cached content reaches 10 MB. If a new resource needs to be cached, the browser will evict the least recently used items from the cache to accommodate the new resource.
- Cache Expiration Example: Let’s say an image on a webpage has an expiration time of 1 day set by the server. If a user revisits the webpage after 2 days, the browser will evict the image from the inspector cache and fetch a fresh copy from the server.
- User Action Example: If a user manually clears their browser cache, all the cached content, including the inspector cache, will be removed. When the user revisits a webpage, the browser will fetch all the resources again from the server and rebuild the inspector cache.