KITFORMA · EDITORIAL ANSWER
Why does caching a method appear to keep old objects alive?
KitForma editorial guide. An `lru_cache` retains references to cached arguments and results. For a method, `self` is part of the cache key, which can extend instance lifetime.
Step-by-step answer
An
lru_cache retains references to cached arguments and results. For a method, self is part of the cache key, which can extend instance lifetime.
Inspect cache size with cache_info, set a sensible bound, and clear the cache at an intentional lifecycle boundary. Prefer caching a pure function of small immutable inputs when that matches the work. Test object reclamation and memory after many short-lived instances. Cached results are shared objects; mutating one can surprise later callers. The cache is not a freshness policy, and thread-safe cache bookkeeping does not guarantee that a miss computes only once under concurrent calls.Sources and verification
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