And that's about all we have time for. In this article, I introduced you to the PEAR Cache_Lite class, a PHP class designed specifically to provide a robust caching mechanism for Web pages. I showed you how to configure the location and the lifetime of the cache, and demonstrated how to use the class to cache both static HTML content and dynamic PHP output. I also gave you a quick tour of the Cache_Lite class' two variants, the Cache_Lite_Output and Cache_Lite_Function classes, illustrating how they could be used to cache blocks of output and function return values, respectively. Finally, I wrapped things up with a real-world example, showing you how a cache can make a substantial difference when dealing with complex, XML-based applications like Amazon Web Services.

In case you'd like to learn more about the topics discussed in this article, you should consider visiting the following links:

Documentation for the PEAR Cache_Lite class, at http://pear.php.net/package-info.php?pacid=99

phpCache, a lightweight alternative to Cache_Lite, at http://0x00.org/php/phpCache/, and a tutorial on how to use it, at http://www.sitepoint.com/article/685

A comprehensive resource on the topic of Web caching, at http://www.web-caching.com/

An article discussing the benefits of caching your Web content, at http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue4/caching/

Using Amazon Web Services With PHP And SOAP, at http://www.melonfire.com/community/columns/trog/article.php?id=162

Until next time...stay healthy!

Note: Examples are illustrative only, and are not meant for a production environment. Melonfire provides no warranties or support for the source code described in this article. YMMV!