Support `@CacheConfig("myCacheName")` declarations for simplified configuration

[sbrannen]

Overview

The @CacheConfig section of the reference manual provides an example that declares @CacheConfig("books").

However, unlike the @Cacheable, @CachePut, and @CacheEvict annotations, @CacheConfig currently does not have a value alias for the cacheNames attribute. Thus, the example in the reference manual does not compile, and @CacheConfig(cacheNames = "books") would be the supported way to declare that.

The driving factor for this issue is therefore to provide a simplified and consistent programming model for users that only need to define default cache names at the type level (like in the existing example in the reference manual).

To address that, we should introduce a value alias for cacheNames in @CacheConfig.

Related Issues

• Correct invalid @CacheConfig snippet in documentation #35096

[snicoll]

@sbrannen the lack of alias is intentional and I don't think the analogy with the other annotations is correct. We wanted cacheNames to be explicit as it's not about a cache operation but configuration of the infrastructure.

[sbrannen]

Reopening to backport to 6.2.x.

[jhoeller]

@sbrannen from my perspective, this is not so much about aligning with the method-level caching annotations but rather about the common use case of specifying a cache name for all methods of a given bean class. Let's rephrase the issue accordingly please.

[sbrannen]

Sorry for the belated reply, @snicoll.

I was multi-tasking when I reopened this issue and didn't notice that anyone had commented on the issue in the interim.

The driving factor for this issue is to provide a simplified and consistent programming model for users that only need to define default cache names at the type level (like we already have in the @CacheConfig example in the reference manual).

If I had noticed the inconsistency when I implemented 4dffeee, I would likely have introduced a value alias in @CacheConfig back then.

from my perspective, this is not so much about aligning with the method-level caching annotations but rather about the common use case of specifying a cache name for all methods of a given bean class. Let's rephrase the issue accordingly please.

Good point, @jhoeller. I'll update the title and description of this issue to better reflect that.