What are the potential drawbacks of manually clearing the application cache?

Manually clearing the application cache can lead to potential issues such as data loss, slower performance due to re-caching, and potential errors in the application if not done correctly. To avoid these drawbacks, it is recommended to use automated cache clearing methods or to carefully follow the proper steps when manually clearing the cache.

// Example of manually clearing the application cache in PHP
// Make sure to backup any important data before clearing the cache

// Clear the opcode cache
opcache_reset();

// Clear any other caches such as APC or Memcached
// Make sure to consult the documentation of the specific cache system being used

// Optionally, restart the web server to ensure all caches are cleared
// This step may not be necessary in all cases