Let's break down the benchmark definition and results.

Benchmark Definition

The benchmark is called "Switch vs Object Literal - testing with simpler data". It consists of two test cases:

1. "Switch": This test case uses a switch statement to determine which baby animal to return based on the input animal. The switch statement checks the value of animal and returns a corresponding string (e.g., "Kitten" for "cat").
2. "Object Literal": This test case uses an object literal (var babyAnimal = {...}) to store mappings between animal names and their corresponding baby animals. It then looks up the value in the object using the input animal as a key, returning the corresponding string (e.g., "Kitten" for "cat").

Script Preparation Code

The script preparation code sets a variable animal to the value "dog".

Test Cases

Each test case has two parts:

1. Benchmark Definition: A JavaScript function that defines the test case's behavior.
2. Test Name: The name of the test case (either "Switch" or "Object Literal").

The benchmark definition code for each test case is as follows:

// Switch
function test(animal) {
  switch(animal){
    case 'cat': return 'Kitten'
    case 'cattle': return 'Calf'
    case 'cheetah': return 'Cub'
    case 'dog': return 'Pup'
    default: return "I don't know that"
  }
}

// Object Literal
function test(animal) {
  var babyAnimal = {
    cat:'Kitten',
    cattle:'Calf',
    cheetah:'Cub',
    dog:'Pup'
  }

  return babyAnimal[animal] ?? "I don't know that"
}

Latest Benchmark Result

The results show two test cases:

1. "Switch": The switch statement has an execution speed of approximately 47,939 executions per second.
2. "Object Literal": The object literal approach has an execution speed of approximately 43,926 executions per second.

Comparison and Analysis

The benchmark compares the performance of two approaches:

1. Switch statement: A traditional switch statement that uses a series of if-else statements under the hood.
2. Object Literal: An object literal approach that uses a hash table to store mappings between keys and values.

Pros and Cons:

• Switch Statement:
  • Pros: Easy to read and write, good for simple cases.
  • Cons: Can become cumbersome for large numbers of cases.
• Object Literal:
  • Pros: Flexible, easy to add or remove key-value pairs.
  • Cons: May be slower due to the overhead of hash table lookups.

Library Used

No external libraries are used in this benchmark.

JS Feature or Syntax

The test cases use JavaScript's switch statement and object literals. The ?? operator (optional chaining) is also used in the object literal approach, which is a newer syntax introduced in ECMAScript 2020.

Alternatives

Other alternatives to consider:

• If-else chain: A traditional series of if-else statements.
• Hash table with lookup functions: A custom hash table implementation with separate functions for lookups and updates.
• Switch statement with default case: Adding a default case to the switch statement can improve performance by avoiding unnecessary checks.