Benchmark: if-else-vs-switch

Tests:

If-else 2
let axis = 1; if (axis === 0) { return true; } else if (axis === 2) { return true; } return true;
Switch 2
let axis = 1; switch (axis) { case 0: return true; case 2: return true; default: return true; }
If-else 4
let shape = { 'type': 'box' }; if (shape.type === 'capsule') { return true; } else if (shape.type === 'cone') { return true; } else if (shape.type === 'cylinder') { return true; } else if (shape.type === 'sphere') { return true; } return true;
Switch 4
let shape = { 'type': 'box' }; switch (shape.type) { case 'capsule': return true; case 'cone': return true; case 'cylinder': return true; case 'sphere': return true; default: return true; }

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
If-else 2
Switch 2
If-else 4
Switch 4

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

Run details: (Test run date: one year ago)

User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/109.0

Browser/OS: Firefox 109 on Windows

View result in a separate tab

Test name	Executions per second
If-else 2	1099918080.0 Ops/sec
Switch 2	1119198976.0 Ops/sec
If-else 4	187395424.0 Ops/sec
Switch 4	148979056.0 Ops/sec

Autogenerated LLM Summary (model llama3.2:3b, generated 2 months ago):

LLMs can make mistakes. Check important info.

Let's break down the provided benchmark and explain what's being tested, compared, and their pros and cons.

**Benchmark Overview**

The "if-else-vs-switch" benchmark compares the performance of two control flow mechanisms in JavaScript: `if` statements and `switch` statements. The benchmark consists of four test cases, each with a small number of checks. The goal is to determine which approach is faster for these specific use cases.

**Test Cases**

1. **If-else 2**: This test case uses an `if` statement with two conditions.
```javascript
let axis = 1;
if (axis === 0) {
    return true;
} else if (axis === 2) {
    return true;
}
return true;
```
2. **Switch 2**: This test case uses a `switch` statement with three cases.
```javascript
let axis = 1;
switch (axis) {
  case 0:
    return true;
  case 2:
    return true;
  default:
    return true;
}
```
3. **If-else 4**: This test case is similar to the first one but uses a more complex `if` statement with multiple conditions.
```javascript
let shape = { 'type': 'box' };
if (shape.type === 'capsule') {
    return true;
} else if (shape.type === 'cone') {
    return true;
} else if (shape.type === 'cylinder') {
    return true;
} else if (shape.type === 'sphere') {
    return true;
}
return true;
```
4. **Switch 4**: This test case is similar to the second one but uses a more complex `switch` statement with multiple cases.
```javascript
let shape = { 'type': 'box' };
switch (shape.type) {
  case 'capsule':
    return true;
  case 'cone':
    return true;
  case 'cylinder':
    return true;
  case 'sphere':
    return true;
  default:
    return true;
}
```
**Library**

There is no explicit library mentioned in the benchmark definition or test cases. However, it's likely that the benchmark uses the built-in JavaScript `if` and `switch` statements.

**Special JS Features/Syntax**

None of the provided test cases use any special JavaScript features or syntax beyond what's commonly used in everyday coding.

**Performance Comparison**

The performance comparison between `if` statements and `switch` statements depends on various factors, such as:

* **Number of conditions**: For a small number of conditions like in these benchmark tests, `switch` statements tend to perform better due to their ability to quickly jump to the relevant branch.
* **Type of conditions**: If the conditions are related to a specific type or category, `switch` statements can be more efficient. However, if the conditions are unrelated or require complex comparisons, `if` statements might be faster.
* **Browser and environment**: The performance differences between `if` and `switch` statements can vary depending on the browser, JavaScript engine, and hardware.

**Pros and Cons**

**If Statements:**

Pros:

* Generally easier to read and maintain
* Can handle complex conditions with multiple `else if` branches

Cons:

* Can be slower than `switch` statements for small numbers of conditions

**Switch Statements:**

Pros:

* Can be faster than `if` statements for small numbers of conditions
* Reduces the risk of falling through to the default branch

Cons:

* Can be less readable and maintainable, especially with many cases
* May require more memory allocation due to the use of a jump table (in older browsers)

**Alternatives**

Other alternatives to `if` statements and `switch` statements include:

* **JavaScript Loops**: While not ideal for branching, loops can be used to simplify conditional logic.
* **Object-based conditionals**: Some JavaScript engines support object-based conditionals, which can provide a more concise alternative to traditional `if` or `switch` statements.

Keep in mind that the performance differences between these control flow mechanisms are usually small and may not be noticeable in most cases. The choice of approach should be guided by readability, maintainability, and specific use case requirements.

Related benchmarks:

if-else-vs-switch (version: 3)

Compare if-else VS switch performance for small amount of checks

Comparing performance of: If-else 2 vs Switch 2 vs If-else 4 vs Switch 4

Created: one year ago by: Registered User

Jump to the latest result

If-else 2

Switch 2

If-else 4

Switch 4

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Experimental features:

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Autogenerated LLM Summary (model llama3.2:3b, generated 2 months ago):