Reducing Database Call Techniques...query caching the only way?

Question

What's the most efficient way to reuse data that gets called on practically every page of an application?
For instance, I have a module that handles all my gateways, sub pages and subgateways etc etc.  This will only change whenever a change is made to the page structure in the admin portion of the application.  It's really not necessary to hit the database everytime a page loads.  Is this a good instance to use query caching?  What are the pros, cons and alternatives?  I thought an alternative might be to store in a session, but that doesn't sound too ideal.
Thanks!
Paul

Answer 1

What's the most efficient way to reuse data that gets called on practically every page of an application?
That sounds like a question from the certification exam. The answer is to store the data in session or applicaton scope, depending on the circumstances. If the data depends on the user, then the answer is session. If the data persists from user to user, then it is application.
admin portion of the application.
Suggests users must log in. Otherwise you cannot distinguish admin from non-admin.
This will only change whenever a change is made to the page structure in the admin portion of the application.
Then I would go for storing the data in application scope, as the admin determines the value for everybody else. However, the session acope also has something to do with it. Since the changes are only going to occur in the admin portion, I would base everything on a variable, session.role.
You cache the query by storing it directly in application scope within onApplicationStart in Application.cfc, like this:
<cfquery name="application.myQueryName">
</cfquery>
The best place for the following code is within onSessionStart in Application.cfc.
<!--- It is assumed here that login has already occurred. Your code checks whether
session.role is Admin. If so, make the changes. --->
<cfif session.role is 'admin'>
<!--- Make changes to the data in application.myQueryName, otherwise do nothing --->
</cfif>
Added edit: On second thought, the best place for setting the application variable is in onApplicationStart.