How can PHP developers ensure that cached content is regularly updated and refreshed to maintain accuracy in a forum?

To ensure that cached content in a forum is regularly updated and refreshed, PHP developers can implement a cache expiration mechanism. This mechanism can involve setting a time limit for how long content is cached before it needs to be refreshed. By periodically checking the cache expiration time and updating the content accordingly, developers can maintain accuracy in the forum. 

// Check if cached content exists and is not expired
if (file_exists('cached_content.txt') && (time() - filemtime('cached_content.txt') < 3600)) {
    // Use cached content
    $content = file_get_contents('cached_content.txt');
} else {
    // Retrieve new content from the forum
    $new_content = fetch_forum_content();

    // Update cached content
    file_put_contents('cached_content.txt', $new_content);

    // Use the new content
    $content = $new_content;
}

// Display the content
echo $content;

Keywords

Cache invalidation Cron jobs Cache expiration Cache busting Cache control

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