RE: [boost] Interest in a cache class?

From: Gary Powell (powellg_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-03-11 15:33:28

>>

I remain unconvinced.  There is no semantic difference between keeping
the same object around and discarding it and reloading on demand.
There is a difference in performance, but the cache itself is probably
in a better position to judge when objects should be discarded than
the user.
<<

In games cache's are used all the time. And there are times where the load
time is critical. If you are in the room where the fountain plays a tune, I
want to preload the sound cache with the tune, and then hold on to it as
long as you are in that room. When you leave, I'll mark it as available for
flushing. But I don't want to flush it unconditionally because you may turn
around and reenter the room again. I may not even play the sound file but
I'm constantly cache'ing and flushing stuff. (textures, sounds, models, etc.
some of which are preloads, some of which become flushable, under certain
game conditions.)

So some sort of "locking" mechanism is required, more than a "last
accessed".  Also the ability to prioritize stuff would help as well. #1
flush as a last resort, #10 flush first...

  -Gary-