How Can Query String Parameters Simplify Cache Busting for CSS and JS Files?

Cache Busting Simplified with Parameter appending

Enhancing cache busting during production deployments without investing excessive time in complex systems can be achieved by appending a parameter to CSS and JS files that includes the current version number. For instance:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="base_url.com/file.css?v=1.123"/gt;

This solution raises two questions:

1. Will this method effectively break the cache?

   • Yes, the parameter ?v=1.123 represents a query string, which the browser interprets as a new path. Consequently, the file will be loaded directly from its source, bypassing the cache.

2. Will the parameter cause the browser to refrain from caching any further responses from the same URL?

   • No, since the browser assumes that the resource identified by ?v=1.123 will remain unchanged at subsequent calls, it should cache the response associated with that specific string. Thus, the file will remain cached as long as the version number remains constant (e.g., ?v=1.123). Updates to the version number (such as ?v=1.124) will necessitate the browser acquiring the updated resource and caching it accordingly.

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