This benchmark on MeasureThat.net compares two ways of handling potential null values in JavaScript:

1. Nullish Coalescing Operator (??):

• This approach uses the ?? operator, which returns the left operand if it's not null or undefined, otherwise it returns the right operand. In this case: let a = null; return a ?? "b";.

2. If-Chain:

• This approach uses an if statement to check if the variable (v) is not null. If it's not, it returns a value (a). Otherwise, it returns "b".

let v = null; 
if(v !== null) { 
  return a; 
}
return "b";

Pros and Cons:

• Nullish Coalescing (??):

  • Pros: More concise and readable, especially when dealing with multiple null checks.
  • Cons: Can be less clear if the logic is complex or involves other conditions besides just checking for null/undefined.

• If-Chain:

  • Pros: More explicit about the conditional check, potentially clearer for complex logic involving multiple conditions.
  • Cons: Can become verbose and harder to read when dealing with many consecutive checks.

Other Considerations:

• Performance: Both approaches are generally efficient in modern JavaScript engines. However, very minor performance differences might exist depending on the specific implementation details. The benchmark results provided show that the nullish coalescing operator is slightly faster.
• Readability and Maintainability: Nullish coalescing is often preferred for its conciseness and readability.

Alternatives:

• Ternary Operator (condition ? value1 : value2): This can be used as a shorter alternative to the if-chain, but it might not always be as readable for complex conditions:

  return v !== null ? a : "b";  
  

Let me know if you have any more questions!