Exploring the URL Cache

• Download source files - 26 Kb
• Download demo project - 39 Kb

Introduction

My desire to create a one button solution to blow away all files left on my machine from my browser lead me down the path of the URL Cache. This seems to be the place where all internet related files are managed. Of course this journey turned into a full-blown application to look into the cache and view the details of what's actually kept there.

All methods to manipulate the URL cache are part of the WinInet library. This library is fairly low-level (not quite at the socket level, but it's pretty far down there). In addition to the cache, the library also provides http, ftp, and gopher file transfer functionality.

Walking the URL cache is very similar to using the Win32 file related functions. FindFirst (with some parameters) returns a handle, FindNext (until there are no more), that sort of thing. I developed a set of classes to deal with the nitty-gritty. You'll find these in the UrlCacheUtil.h/.cpp files.

The application is fairly self documenting (famous last words). I'll leave it to you to get out of it what you want. The detail dialog is modeless, so it can be left up as you scroll through the cache entries.

Some interesting notes:

• There are definitely some undocumented CacheEntryType's being used. I suspect IE creates some for it's own internal use.
• The Groups are somewhat a mystery to me. I haven't come across one with a name yet. I suspect all entries go into an unnamed group by default.

History

06/09/2003 - submitted article.