feat: enhance output caching and update checklist prompts for improved productivity guidance

Author: csharpfritz

Content/Tips/copilot-checklist-interviewer.md

@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ author: "Copilot That Jawn"
 featured: false
 ---
 
-One powerful way to boost your productivity with Copilot is to ask it to generate a checklist or to interview you step-by-step for a task. Instead of just requesting code or a solution, try prompts like:
+One powerful way to boost your productivity with Copilot is to ask it to generate a checklist or to interview you step-by-step for a task. Instead of just requesting information or a solution, try prompts like:
 
-- "Give me a checklist for deploying an ASP.NET app to Azure."
-- "Interview me to gather requirements for a new feature."
-- "Walk me through the steps to set up CI/CD for my project."
-- "Create a code review checklist for my team."
-- "Help me plan a database migration by asking me questions."
+- "Give me a checklist for launching a new product."
+- "Interview me to gather requirements for a client presentation."
+- "Walk me through the steps to plan a successful team meeting."
+- "Create a project management checklist for my team."
+- "Help me plan a budget proposal by asking me questions."
 
 ## Why This Works
 
@@ -29,24 +29,24 @@ Copilot will respond with a structured list or a series of questions, helping yo
 
 ## Example in Action
 
-**Your Prompt:** "Interview me to gather requirements for building a new REST API."
+**Your Prompt:** "Interview me to gather requirements for planning a company event."
 
 **Copilot's Response:**
 
-1. What is the primary purpose of this API?
-2. Who are the intended users or consumers?
-3. What data will the API work with?
-4. Do you need authentication and authorization?
-5. What are your performance requirements?
-6. Are there any third-party integrations needed?
+1. What type of event are you planning (conference, celebration, training, etc.)?
+2. How many attendees are you expecting?
+3. What's your budget range for this event?
+4. Do you have a preferred date or timeline?
+5. What are your venue requirements (location, capacity, amenities)?
+6. Are there any special accommodations or accessibility needs?
 
 ## Pro Tips
 
-- **After Copilot generates a checklist**, you can ask it to expand on any step, provide code snippets, or even automate parts of the process
-- **Use follow-up questions** like "What's the best practice for step 3?" or "Can you show me code for step 5?"
+- **After Copilot generates a checklist**, you can ask it to expand on any step, provide additional resources, or even help you create action items for each step
+- **Use follow-up questions** like "What's the best practice for step 3?" or "Can you give me a template for step 5?"
 - **Save successful checklists** as templates for future projects
 - **Use your microphone and dictation** - Instead of typing long responses to Copilot's interview questions, use voice input to speak your thoughts naturally. This makes the conversation flow more like a real consultation and helps you articulate ideas quickly without getting bogged down in typing
 - **Think out loud with voice** - When Copilot asks clarifying questions, use voice dictation to brainstorm and explore ideas verbally. You can refine and edit afterward, but speaking helps you capture thoughts faster than typing
-- **Treat Copilot like a collaborative partner** - let it guide you, ask follow-up questions, and help you think through your work like a seasoned tech pro
+- **Treat Copilot like a collaborative partner** - let it guide you, ask follow-up questions, and help you think through your work like a seasoned professional
 
-This approach is especially useful for complex workflows, onboarding new team members, code reviews, deployments, or when you want to ensure best practices are followed consistently across your projects.
+This approach is especially useful for complex workflows, onboarding new team members, project planning, event management, or when you want to ensure best practices are followed consistently across your organization.

Web/Extensions/EndpointExtensions.cs

@@ -188,63 +188,58 @@ public static class EndpointExtensions
             .Expire(TimeSpan.FromHours(2))
             .SetVaryByHost(true)
             .Tag("rss"));
-    }
-
-    public static void MapCacheRefreshEndpoint(this WebApplication app)
+    }    public static void MapCacheRefreshEndpoint(this WebApplication app)
     {
         app.MapPost("/api/cache/refresh", async (HttpContext context, IContentService contentService, IOutputCacheStore outputCacheStore, ILogger<Program> logger, IWebHostEnvironment environment, IConfiguration configuration) =>
         {
             try
             {
                 logger.LogInformation("Cache refresh requested via API endpoint");
 
-                // Validate API key for security
-                var expectedApiKey = configuration["CacheRefresh:ApiKey"];
-                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(expectedApiKey))
+                // Validate API key for security (skip in development)
+                if (!environment.IsDevelopment())
                 {
-                    var providedApiKey = context.Request.Headers["X-API-Key"].FirstOrDefault();
-                    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(providedApiKey) || providedApiKey != expectedApiKey)
+                    var expectedApiKey = configuration["CacheRefresh:ApiKey"];
+                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(expectedApiKey))
                     {
-                        logger.LogWarning("Cache refresh request rejected: Invalid or missing API key");
-                        return Results.Unauthorized();
+                        var providedApiKey = context.Request.Headers["X-API-Key"].FirstOrDefault();
+                        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(providedApiKey) || providedApiKey != expectedApiKey)
+                        {
+                            logger.LogWarning("Cache refresh request rejected: Invalid or missing API key");
+                            return Results.Unauthorized();
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        logger.LogWarning("Cache refresh API key not configured in production environment");
+                        return Results.Problem("API key not configured", statusCode: 500);
                     }
-                }
-                else if (!environment.IsDevelopment())
-                {
-                    logger.LogWarning("Cache refresh API key not configured in production environment");
-                    return Results.Problem("API key not configured", statusCode: 500);
-                }
-                
-                // Only perform cache refresh in non-development environments
-                if (environment.IsDevelopment())
-                {
-                    logger.LogInformation("Development environment detected. Skipping cache refresh.");
-                    return Results.Ok(new { 
-                        message = "Cache refresh skipped in development environment", 
-                        timestamp = DateTime.UtcNow,
-                        environment = "Development" 
-                    });
                 }
 
                 // Refresh content cache
                 await contentService.RefreshContentAsync();
-                
-                // Evict all output cache entries
+                  // Evict output cache entries using the correct tags
+                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("home", default);
+                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("content", default);
+                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("tips", default);
+                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("page", default);
+                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("category", default);
+                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("tag", default);
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("sitemap", default);
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("rss", default);
+                
+                // Evict specific page types
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("Web.Pages.IndexModel", default);
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("Web.Pages.Tips.IndexModel", default);
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("Web.Pages.Tips.CategoryModel", default);
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("Web.Pages.Tips.TagModel", default);
                 await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("Web.Pages.Tips.DetailsModel", default);
 
-                // Also evict by the base policy
-                await outputCacheStore.EvictByTagAsync("", default);
-                
-                logger.LogInformation("Cache refresh completed successfully (content and output cache)");
+                logger.LogInformation("Cache refresh completed successfully (content and output cache) in {Environment} environment", environment.EnvironmentName);
                 return Results.Ok(new { 
                     message = "Content and output cache refreshed successfully", 
-                    timestamp = DateTime.UtcNow 
+                    timestamp = DateTime.UtcNow,
+                    environment = environment.EnvironmentName
                 });
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
@@ -255,6 +250,6 @@ public static void MapCacheRefreshEndpoint(this WebApplication app)
         })
         .WithName("RefreshCache")
         .WithSummary("Refresh the content cache")
-        .WithDescription("Triggers a refresh of the in-memory content cache and output cache for all pages. Requires X-API-Key header for authentication.");
+        .WithDescription("Triggers a refresh of the in-memory content cache and output cache for all pages. Requires X-API-Key header for authentication in production.");
     }
 }

Web/Pages/BasePageModel.cs

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 namespace Web.Pages;
 
-[OutputCache]
 public abstract class BasePageModel : PageModel
 {    /// <summary>
     /// The default output cache duration for dynamic pages - extended to 6 hours
@@ -16,6 +15,14 @@ public abstract class BasePageModel : PageModel
     /// Whether the page allows caching by default
     /// </summary>
     protected virtual bool AllowCaching => true;
+    
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Get the cache tags for this page
+    /// </summary>
+    protected virtual string[] GetCacheTags()
+    {
+        return new[] { GetType().FullName!, "page", "content" };
+    }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Configure output caching for the page
@@ -33,6 +40,13 @@ public override void OnPageHandlerExecuting(PageHandlerExecutingContext context)
                 Public = true,
                 MaxAge = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(CacheDurationSeconds)
             };
+            
+            // Set output cache tags for this page
+            var cacheTags = GetCacheTags();
+            if (cacheTags.Length > 0)
+            {
+                HttpContext.Response.Headers.Append("X-Cache-Tags", string.Join(",", cacheTags));
+            }
         }
     }
 

Web/Pages/Index.cshtml.cs

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.OutputCaching;
 using Shared;
 using Web.Services;
 
 namespace Web.Pages;
 
+[OutputCache(Duration = 21600, Tags = new[] { "home", "content", "tips" })]
 public class IndexModel : BasePageModel
 {
     private readonly ILogger<IndexModel> _logger;

Web/Pages/Tips/Category.cshtml.cs

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.OutputCaching;
 using Shared;
 using Web.Services;
 
 namespace Web.Pages.Tips;
 
+[OutputCache(Duration = 21600, Tags = new[] { "tips", "content", "category" })]
 public class CategoryModel : BasePageModel
 {
     private readonly IContentService _contentService;

Web/Pages/Tips/Index.cshtml.cs

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.OutputCaching;
 using Shared;
 using Web.Services;
 
 namespace Web.Pages.Tips;
 
+[OutputCache(Duration = 21600, Tags = new[] { "tips", "content" })]
 public class IndexModel : BasePageModel
 {
     private readonly IContentService _contentService;

Web/Pages/Tips/Tag.cshtml.cs

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.OutputCaching;
 using Shared;
 using Web.Services;
 
 namespace Web.Pages.Tips;
 
+[OutputCache(Duration = 21600, Tags = new[] { "tips", "content", "tag" })]
 public class TagModel : BasePageModel
 {
     private readonly IContentService _contentService;

Web/Program.cs

@@ -144,15 +144,14 @@
 	// Enable compression and caching only in production
 	app.UseResponseCompression();
 	app.UseResponseCaching();
-	app.UseOutputCache();
 }
 else
 {
 	app.UseDeveloperExceptionPage();
 }
 
-// Enable output cache in all environments to test Redis
-// app.UseOutputCache();
+// Enable output cache in all environments to test caching functionality
+app.UseOutputCache();
 
 // Enable compression and caching early in the pipeline
 app.UseHttpsRedirection();