> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://chameleon.voidlogger.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Store and cache

> How caching works, what data is stored, and how Chameleon balances memory and convenience.

## Cache philosophy

Chameleon optimizes for lean cached data:

* plain objects instead of class instances
* IDs instead of eager nested objects where possible
* shared central stores instead of repeated object graphs

## Practical consequences

When you fetch or receive an entity:

* you usually get a lightweight data object
* related entities may need to be resolved separately
* managers are the place for side effects and API calls

## Example

A message stores identifiers like `channelId` and optional `guildId`, instead of embedding fully active relation objects everywhere.

That helps memory use, especially for message-heavy bots.

## When the cache is helpful

The store is useful for:

* reducing repeated entity rebuilds
* hydrating event payloads
* quick lookups in interaction and manager flows

## When to fetch again

You should still fetch fresh data when:

* correctness matters more than cache locality
* you expect the cached object to be stale
* a relation is not available in store yet