function FARaidTools:itemCache(itemLink)
    if debugOn then print("cacheItem(): Item info for item "..itemLink.." requested from server.") end
    if #table_itemQuery == 0 then
        table.insert(table_itemQuery, GetTime()+(cacheInterval/1000)) -- add a time so that onupdate knows when to check if the data is ready yet
    end
    table.insert(table_itemQuery, itemLink) -- add to the query queue
end

function FARaidTools:itemAdd(itemLink)
    if not GetItemInfo(itemLink) then -- check if the item needs to be cached
        FARaidTools:itemCache(itemLink) -- we don't have item data so we have to cache the item
        return                                     -- itemAdd will be called again via onUpdate once it's ready
                                                     -- potential problem here if this code triggers from onUpdate, but it shouldnt
    end

    local id
    for i=1,#table_mainData do
        local match = string.match(table_mainData[i]["cols"][1]["value"], hyperlinkPattern)
        if match == nil then
            print("Error: match returned nil. i="..i)
            DevTools_Dump(table_mainData[i])
            return
        end
        local link1 = stripItemData(match)
        local link2 = stripItemData(itemLink)
        if link1 == link2 then
            id = i
            if debugOn then print("addToLootWindow(): Found match in data table. ID #"..id) end
            break
        end
    end
    if id then
        local quantity = tonumber(string.match(table_mainData[id]["cols"][1]["value"], "x(%d+)$")) or 1
        table_mainData[id]["cols"][1]["value"] = string.match(table_mainData[id]["cols"][1]["value"], hyperlinkPattern).."x"..tostring(quantity+1)
    else
        table.insert(table_mainData, {
            ["cols"] = {
                {
                    ["value"] = itemLink,
                    ["args"] = nil,
                    ["color"] = {
                        ["r"] = 1.0,
                        ["g"] = 1.0,
                        ["b"] = 1.0,
                        ["a"] = 1.0,
                    },
                    ["colorargs"] = nil,
                    ["DoCellUpdate"] = nil,
                },
                {
                    ["value"] = "30",
                    ["args"] = nil,
                    ["color"] = {
                        ["r"] = 0.5,
                        ["g"] = 0.5,
                        ["b"] = 0.5,
                        ["a"] = 1.0,
                    },
                    ["colorargs"] = nil,
                    ["DoCellUpdate"] = nil,
                },
                {
                    ["value"] = "",
                    ["args"] = nil,
                    ["color"] = {
                        ["r"] = 1.0,
                        ["g"] = 1.0,
                        ["b"] = 1.0,
                        ["a"] = 1.0,
                    },
                    ["colorargs"] = nil,
                    ["DoCellUpdate"] = nil,
                },
            },
            ["color"] = {
                ["r"] = 1.0,
                ["g"] = 0.0,
                ["b"] = 0.0,
                ["a"] = 1.0,
            },
            ["colorargs"] = nil,
            ["DoCellUpdate"] = nil,
        })
    end
    FA_RTscrollingtable:SetData(table_mainData, false)
    FARaidTools:generateIcons()
    if not FA_RTframe:IsShown() then
        if UnitAffectingCombat("PLAYER") then
            showAfterCombat = true
            print("RT: "..itemLink.." was found but the player is in combat.")
        else
            FA_RTframe:Show()
        end
    end
end

local function onUpdate(self,elapsed)
    local currentTime = GetTime() -- get the time and put it in a variable so we don't have to call it a billion times throughout this function

    --[[ some other stuff --]]

    -- Item caching stuff
    if table_itemQuery[1] and currentTime >= table_itemQuery[1] then
        if debugOn then print("Checking for item info for "..(#table_itemQuery-1).." items...") end
        table_itemQuery[1] = currentTime+(cacheInterval/1000)

        local list_size = #table_itemQuery
        for i=0,list_size-2 do -- loop backwards through list of items waiting to be cached
            if GetItemInfo(table_itemQuery[list_size-i]) then -- check if this item in the list is cached yet
                if debugOn then print("Item info for "..table_itemQuery[list_size-i].." is ready, adding to loot window.") end
                FARaidTools:itemAdd(table_itemQuery[list_size-i]) -- it's ready so add it to the loot window
                table.remove(table_itemQuery, list_size-i) -- remove the entry from the query list
            --[[else
                if debugOn then print("Item info for "..table_itemQuery[list_size-i].." was not found.") end--]]
            end
        end

        if #table_itemQuery == 1 then
            table_itemQuery = {}
        elseif debugOn then
            print("Item info for "..(#table_itemQuery-1).." items is not ready. Checking again in "..cacheInterval.."ms.")
        end
    end
end

local ouframe = CreateFrame("frame")
ouframe:SetScript("OnUpdate", onUpdate)