Benchmark Overview

MeasureThat.net is a website that allows users to create and run JavaScript microbenchmarks to compare the performance of different methods for various tasks.

The provided benchmark measures the performance difference between six methods for creating a shallow copy of an array:

1. Lodash cloneDeep
2. Lodash clone
3. Array.splice()
4. Object.assign()
5. Array.slice()
6. Array.slice(0)

Method Comparison

Here's a brief explanation of each method and their pros/cons:

1. Lodash cloneDeep

Lodash's cloneDeep is a deep copy function that recursively clones the entire object, including nested arrays and objects.

Pros: Creates an exact replica of the original object, preserves nested data structures. Cons: Can be slow for large objects due to recursive cloning.

Use case: When you need to create an exact replica of an object with complex nested structures.

2. Lodash clone

Lodash's clone is a shallow copy function that creates a new array or object by copying the top-level properties of the original.

Pros: Fast and efficient, suitable for most use cases. Cons: Does not preserve nested data structures.

Use case: When you need to create a quick copy of an object with simple top-level properties.

3. Array.splice()

Array.splice() modifies the original array by removing elements from the start or end and returning an array of removed elements.

Pros: Can be used for various tasks beyond just creating a copy. Cons: Modifies the original array, not suitable for all use cases.

Use case: When you need to perform an in-place operation on an array.

4. Object.assign()

Object.assign() creates a new object by copying all enumerable own properties from one or more source objects.

Pros: Fast and efficient, suitable for most use cases. Cons: Does not preserve nested data structures.

Use case: When you need to create a quick copy of an object with simple top-level properties.

5. Array.slice()

Array.slice() creates a shallow copy of a subset of elements from the end of an array, starting at the specified index.

Pros: Fast and efficient, suitable for most use cases. Cons: Does not preserve nested data structures.

Use case: When you need to create a quick copy of a portion of an array.

6. Array.slice(0)

Array.slice(0) creates a shallow copy of the entire array, starting from the beginning and ending at index 0.

Pros: Fast and efficient, suitable for most use cases. Cons: Does not preserve nested data structures.

Use case: When you need to create an exact replica of an array with no modifications.

Library

Lodash is a popular JavaScript library that provides various utility functions, including cloneDeep and clone.

Special JS Feature/Syntax

There are no special JavaScript features or syntax used in this benchmark.

Other Alternatives

For creating shallow copies of objects and arrays, other alternatives to Lodash include:

• Vanilla JavaScript (Array.prototype.slice() or Object.assign())
• MooTools (a similar library to Lodash)
• Underscore.js (another popular utility library)

For deep cloning objects with complex nested structures, other alternatives to Lodash's cloneDeep include:

• JSON.parse(JSON.stringify())
• A library like DeepClone or DeepCopy