How Can Django Integrate a Built-In Cache Control Mixin or Middleware for Easier View Management?

Hi everyone,

I’ve noticed that managing cache control on views—particularly for sensitive pages like login forms or personalized content—can be quite cumbersome in Django. While the @never_cache decorator works well for certain views, I’m proposing a more integrated solution for handling cache control directly within Django core. Specifically, I’m considering a few options:

1. A built-in CacheControlMixin:
   A mixin for class-based views that automatically manages cache control settings. This mixin could allow configurable attributes for cache directives, providing greater flexibility.

2. Cache Control Middleware:
   Middleware that enforces global cache control rules, similar to how LoginRequiredMiddleware uses a login_not_required attribute, and still permits exceptions for specific views.

3. Django Settings Integration:
   Directly adding cache control settings into settings.py so that default rules can be enforced across the application, while still enabling view-level customizations.

What are your thoughts on incorporating one of these approaches (or a similar one) into Django core? I’d appreciate feedback and insights from the community on this proposal.

Best regards,
Matteo