What is Shared Build Cache and Why is it Important?
As independent developers, we all know that time is our most valuable asset. Each of us is constantly looking for new ways to speed up our software development processes and increase our efficiency. One of the important concepts we encounter in this quest is "build cache." Its basic logic is quite simple: when a code change is made in a project, ensure that only the changed parts or the dependencies affected by these changes are recompiled. This can save significant time, especially in large projects or complex build processes.
For system administrators or large engineering teams, this situation is relatively more understandable. Shared build cache solutions (e.g., services like Nx's build cache, Bazel's remote cache, or GitHub Actions Cache) are already standard in CI/CD pipelines. These systems ensure that multiple developers or CI agents avoid unnecessary repetitions by using a common cache when building the same project. When a developer builds a specific module, its build output is cached, and another developer or CI job pulls it from the cache instead of recompiling it. This can reduce build times that could take hours per week to minutes, especially in projects that require frequent builds.
