RxJava- Is cache() the same as replay()?

Question

I was wondering if there was a cache() operator that could cache x number of emissions but also expire them after a specified time interval (e.g. 1 minute). I was l

Answer 1

cache and replay are meant for different use cases. Cache is an auto-connecting replay-everything container used typically for long-term replays. Replay can have more parametrization and can do bounded time/size replays but requires the developer to specify when to start. The autoConnect() operator lets you turn such ConnectableObservable instances to a plain Observable which connects to the source once a subscriber subscribes to them. This way, you can have a bounded and auto-connecting replay (requires RxJava 1.0.14+):

source.replay(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS).autoConnect().subscribe(...);