The identity map plugin in MongoMapper caches the result of each object being loaded from the database on a per-model basis. If there is an attempt to load that object again from the database, it is loaded from the identity map. The identity map is cleared between requests by MongoMapper::Middleware::IdentityMap, which is installed by default in Rails apps.
Identity map is not enabled by default in MongoMapper. Turning on the identity map has two effects. First, you never have two instances of the same object in memory. Second, when possible, MongoMapper attempts to reduce the number of queries executed by checking the map before querying the database. Whenever you do simple finds by id, the map is checked first which reduces the n + 1 query problem.
class Item
include MongoMapper::Document
plugin MongoMapper::Plugins::IdentityMap
key :title, String
key :parent_id, ObjectId
belongs_to :parent, :class_name => 'Item'
end
root = Item.create(:title => 'Root') # adds root to IM
child = Item.create(:title => 'Child', :parent => root) # adds child to IM
grand_child = Item.create(:title => 'Grand Child', :parent => child) # adds grand_child to IM
# Queries for all items, loads objects from map instead of creating new objects
items = Item.all
puts items.detect { |i| i._id == root._id }.equal?(root) # true, same object in memory
# No query to the database as root is in memory
puts Item.find(root._id).equal?(root) # true, same object in memory
# Loads root, which is in map, no query to database even though through association
child.parentAdd the plugin to each model individually by declaring the plugin:
class Item
include MongoMapper::Document
plugin MongoMapper::Plugins::IdentityMap
endTo turn on the plugin for all your models, declare the plugin on Document.
MongoMapper::Document.plugin(MongoMapper::Plugins::IdentityMap)