Application Cache: Douchebag

The Application Cache is one of the cool bits of HTML5, allowing sites to work without a network connection brings us much closer to native app-like behaviour. However, from HTML5 roundup articles and talks you may be left with the impression that it's a magic-bullet fix, unfortunately it isn't, the Application Cache is a douchebag.

I don't mean 'incompetent' or 'difficult', definitely 'douchebag'. The Application Cache has skills we need, but if you asked him to paint your bathroom he'd somehow manage to flood your kitchen and break your TV in the process, and he wouldn't care.

We'll look at how to use the features of Application Cache without the horrible side effects, comparing techniques you'd use for a simple clientside app and a large content-driven site. We'll explore the many gotchas left out of most AppCache articles and how you can build your site to survive them.