Eliminate stale cache in anvil-uplink

[p.colbert]

An Uplink program can, and sometimes should, connect to multiple Apps (or multiple versions of the same app), in sequence, e.g., to convey data from one to the next. See

In Uplink, is it safe to reset anvil.tables.AppTables.cache between connections? Is there a better way?

What I’m trying to do: My App has DevTest data, in its Default Database, accessible from a couple of Environments. I want to copy some “bootstrap” data from that database to its other database named Public, accessible from an environment named Published. When Server code runs, it connects to only one database. So I’m writing an Uplink program that connects to each Environment in turn, via its unique server uplink key. When I’m done with the each connection, I close it. Code is successfully …

for a concrete example, including a problem (stale table-definition cache) with the current implementation.

There are several clear ways to resolve this problem.

1. Upon anvil.server.disconnect(), the anvil-uplink package could “clear out” any stale data that could adversely impact [use of] the next connection.
   a. Probably the same thing should happen if the connection is lost, or fails.
2. Alternatively, if performance is an issue, it might wait until the next anvil.server.connect().
3. Document the limitation, and tell developers “don’t do that!”

The “principle of least surprise” says, whether it’s the Uplink program’s 101st connection or its 1st, the database access should work as documented. This suggests option 2 or 1. Option 3 is for the case where this cache-clearing is simply impractical.