Deno module cache invalidation limits when remote dependencies update

Context

Deno caches all remote modules under DENO_DIR and reuses them across runs unless a module hash changes or --reload is supplied. The cache does not automatically invalidate based on time or upstream modifications.

Goal

Ensure that a script always executes with the current version of its remote dependencies without requiring manual intervention before every run.

Constraints

• No built-in time-to-live or change-detection mechanism exists for cached modules.
• deno cache --reload forces a full re-fetch, which adds latency and network traffic.
• Removing DENO_DIR clears all caches globally, affecting unrelated projects.

Questions

1. Is there a supported workflow to scope cache invalidation to a single project or dependency tree?
2. Can a lock file or integrity hash be used to trigger selective refresh without a full --reload?
3. Are there plans to introduce configurable cache expiration or background validation in a future release?