var array = [1,2,3];
var d = array[0];
var z = array.at(0);
--enable-precise-memory-info
flag.
Test case name | Result |
---|---|
array[0] | |
array.at(0) |
Test name | Executions per second |
---|---|
array[0] | 15975140.0 Ops/sec |
array.at(0) | 15854340.0 Ops/sec |
Let's dive into the explanation.
The provided JSON represents a JavaScript microbenchmark test case created using MeasureThat.net. The benchmark tests the performance difference between two approaches: accessing an element at a specific index (array[0]
) and accessing it using the at()
method.
Approach 1: Array indexing (array[0]
)
This approach uses traditional array indexing to access the first element of the array. In JavaScript, arrays are 0-indexed, meaning the first element is at index 0. When you use array[0]
, the browser (in this case, Chrome 107 on a Mac) needs to calculate the memory address of the first element and then load it into a register.
Pros:
Cons:
Approach 2: Array at()
method (array.at(0)
)
This approach uses the at()
method, which is a relatively new feature introduced in ECMAScript 2019 (ES2019). The at()
method returns an iterator that yields the requested element from the array, without having to calculate its memory address.
Pros:
at()
method is generally faster than traditional array indexing, especially for large arrays.Cons:
at()
method is not supported in older browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, older versions of Chrome and Firefox) or JavaScript engines.Now, let's talk about other alternatives. If you need to access array elements efficiently across multiple platforms, you can consider using:
Uint8Array
, Float32Array
, etc. These arrays are optimized for specific data types and provide better performance than regular arrays.In the provided benchmark, both approaches (array[0]
and array.at(0)
) are being tested on Chrome 107, so we're only comparing their performance in this specific browser and JavaScript engine. However, it's essential to note that the results might differ across other browsers or engines.
The library used in the benchmark is not explicitly mentioned, but since MeasureThat.net provides a simple JavaScript environment for testing microbenchmarks, we can assume that the script preparation code is being executed within this context.
As for special JS features or syntax, there are no notable ones mentioned in the provided explanation. However, if you're interested in exploring more advanced topics, such as iterators, generators, or async/await, I'd be happy to help!