What is being tested:

MeasureThat.net is testing two different approaches to access nested properties in an object:

1. Optional Chaining: This approach uses the nullish coalescing operator (??) and chaining comparison operators (==, ===) to safely navigate through the object's structure.
2. Lodash's _.get() method: This is a utility function from the Lodash library that provides a way to safely access nested properties in an object.

Options compared:

The benchmark compares two options:

• Optional Chaining
• Lodash's _.get() method

Pros and Cons of each approach:

1. Optional Chaining:
   • Pros:
     • Concise and expressive syntax
     • Efficient, as it avoids unnecessary comparisons
     • Works with modern JavaScript engines (e.g., V8)
   • Cons:
     • May not be supported in older browsers or JavaScript versions
     • Requires understanding of the nullish coalescing operator (??)
2. Lodash's _.get() method:
   • Pros:
     • Wide browser support, including older versions
     • Provides a clear and concise way to access nested properties
     • Well-documented and widely used library
   • Cons:
     • Requires including the Lodash library in your project
     • May introduce additional dependencies

Library:

Lodash is a popular JavaScript utility library that provides a wide range of functions for tasks such as string manipulation, array operations, and more. The _.get() method is specifically designed to safely access nested properties in an object.

Special JS feature or syntax:

The benchmark uses the nullish coalescing operator (??), which was introduced in ECMAScript 2020 (ES2020). This operator allows you to safely navigate through objects, avoiding null pointer exceptions. If you're not familiar with this operator, it's a new addition to modern JavaScript and is supported by most modern browsers and JavaScript engines.

Other alternatives:

If you prefer not to use Optional Chaining or Lodash's _.get() method, you can consider the following alternatives:

• Brackets notation: This approach uses brackets ([]) to access nested properties. For example, obj['a']['b']['c'].
• Dot notation with null checks: This approach uses dot notation (.) and null checks (&&) to access nested properties. For example, (obj.a && obj.a.b && obj.a.b.c).

However, these alternatives may not be as concise or efficient as Optional Chaining or Lodash's _.get() method.