Vorausladen

Vorausladen, or preloading in English, is the process of loading data, resources, or code before they are actually required by a program or user action. The goal is to reduce latency and improve responsiveness by having assets ready when needed. The term is used across computing domains to describe proactive preparation of items expected to be used soon.

In web browsers, Vorausladen covers techniques such as preloading and prefetching resources (scripts, fonts, images) to ensure availability at the moment of use. Web standards differentiate methods, for example rel="preload" for high-priority resources and rel="prefetch" for resources likely to be needed later. In operating systems and virtualized environments, preloading may fetch pages or blocks into memory ahead of time. In games and multimedia software, asset streaming systems preload textures, sounds, and level data to smooth transitions and reduce loading screens. Mobile apps may cache and background-load data to hide network latency.

Benefits of Vorausladen include lower perceived latency, shorter startup times, and smoother user experience. Drawbacks include increased memory and bandwidth consumption, potential wasted data if predictions are incorrect, and added complexity for cache coherence and resource management.

Best practices involve prioritizing critical resources, balancing upfront loading with available memory and bandwidth, and validating strategies with telemetry. Distinguishing preload (immediate use) from prefetch (likely needed later) helps clarify intent in different platforms.

See also: Prefetching, Lazy loading, Caching.