In programming, what does a cache typically refer to?

A cache typically refers to a temporary storage area used to hold frequently accessed data, allowing for quicker data retrieval. This mechanism improves the overall efficiency and speed of applications by reducing the time it takes to access data from the slower main memory or from a remote resource, such as a website or database.

When an application needs to read data, it first checks the cache. If the data is present, it can be retrieved almost instantaneously, reducing the load on the primary data source. If the data is not in the cache, it has to be fetched from the slower storage, and once retrieved, it can then be stored in the cache for future access.

This concept is widely utilized in various areas of computing, including CPU caches in hardware, web browsers, and application-level storage mechanisms, enhancing performance significantly by minimizing latency and optimizing resource usage.