How can PHP developers optimize the performance of a referral link script to handle a large number of clicks efficiently?

Issue: To optimize the performance of a referral link script to handle a large number of clicks efficiently, developers can implement caching mechanisms to reduce database queries and improve response times.

// Example of implementing caching in a PHP referral link script
$cacheKey = 'referral_link_' . $referralCode;
$referralLink = cache_get($cacheKey);

if (!$referralLink) {
    // If referral link is not found in cache, query database
    $referralLink = getReferralLinkFromDatabase($referralCode);
    
    // Store referral link in cache for future use
    cache_set($cacheKey, $referralLink, 3600); // Cache for 1 hour
}

// Use the referral link for redirection or display
echo $referralLink;