content-hash-cache-pattern

Content hash caching eliminates redundant compute waste by using SHA-256 file content hashes as cache keys, so renamed or moved files still return cache hits and skip re-processing in repeated pipeline runs.

Cache invalidation is automatic because SHA-256 content hashes change when file content changes, generating new cache keys that trigger re-processing without manual index tracking.

Yes, you can add caching to pure processing functions by implementing a separate service layer that manages SHA-256 content hash cache keys, leaving the core processing logic unmodified.

The best way to cache PDF parsing and OCR results is using file-based O(1) cache storage with SHA-256 content hash keys, which provides path-independent cache hits and automatic invalidation for changed files.

Yes, content hash-based caching works for renamed or moved files because it uses SHA-256 file content hashes instead of file paths as cache keys, so cache hits remain valid regardless of file location.

You should not use content hash caching when files change every run, as the SHA-256 re-hashing and cache miss overhead adds latency without compute savings, or when processing is too fast to justify cache storage overhead.