Benchmark: Spread vs. Apply

Script Preparation code:

var arr = [];
for (var i = 0; i < 2048; i++) {
  arr.push(Math.floor(Math.random() * 4096));
}

Tests:

Apply
Math.max.apply(arr);
Spread
Math.max(...arr);
Spread with existing args
Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, ...arr);

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
Apply
Spread
Spread with existing args

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

Run details: (Test run date: 2025 years ago)

User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_12_6) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/64.0.3282.167 Safari/537.36

Browser/OS: Chrome 64 on Mac OS X 10.12.6

View result in a separate tab

Test name	Executions per second
Apply	3732791.2 Ops/sec
Spread	223641.5 Ops/sec
Spread with existing args	218888.4 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 benchmark and explain what's being tested, compared options, pros and cons, library usage, special JavaScript features, and alternatives.

**Benchmark Overview**

The benchmark compares three ways to find the maximum value in an array:

1. Using `Math.max.apply(arr)`.
2. Using `Math.max(...arr)` (Spread syntax).
3. Using `Math.max` with existing arguments and then spreading the array using the spread operator (`...arr`).

**Script Preparation Code**

The script preparation code generates a large random array of integers:
```javascript
var arr = [];
for (var i = 0; i < 2048; i++) {
  arr.push(Math.floor(Math.random() * 4096));
}
```
This code creates an array with 2048 elements, each randomly generated between 0 and 4095.

**Html Preparation Code**

There is no HTML preparation code provided, so we'll assume it's not needed for this benchmark.

**Library Usage**

None of the test cases use any external libraries. The `Math.max` function is a built-in JavaScript function that doesn't require any additional imports or setup.

**Special JavaScript Features**

Two special JavaScript features are used in this benchmark:

1. **Spread syntax (`...arr`)**: This feature allows you to spread an array into multiple arguments. In the third test case, `Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, ...arr)` uses this syntax to spread the entire array into additional arguments.
2. **`apply()` method**: The first test case uses the `apply()` method to call `Math.max` with an array as its argument. This is a way to dynamically call a function with an array of arguments.

**Options Comparison**

The three options being compared are:

1. `Math.max.apply(arr)`
2. `Math.max(...arr)`
3. `Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, ...arr)`

Here's a brief summary of each option:

* **Option 1: `Math.max.apply(arr)`**
	+ Pros: concise and readable syntax.
	+ Cons: may be slower due to the overhead of calling `apply()`.
* **Option 2: `Math.max(...arr)` (Spread syntax)**
	+ Pros: concise and expressive syntax, potentially faster than `apply()` method.
	+ Cons: requires JavaScript 5.0 or later for spread syntax support.
* **Option 3: `Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, ...arr)`**
	+ Pros: explicit and readable syntax, works in all versions of JavaScript.
	+ Cons: less concise than the other two options.

**Pros and Cons**

The pros and cons of each option depend on the specific use case and personal preference. In general:

* `Math.max.apply(arr)` is a good choice when you need to call `Math.max` with an array as its argument and don't care about conciseness.
* `Math.max(...arr)` (Spread syntax) is a good choice when you want a concise and expressive way to find the maximum value in an array, especially if you're using modern JavaScript versions.
* `Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, ...arr)` is a good choice when you need a more explicit and readable syntax that works in all versions of JavaScript.

**Alternatives**

Other ways to find the maximum value in an array include:

* Using `Math.max()` with multiple arguments, like `Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2)`.
* Using a `for` loop or `forEach()` method to iterate over the array and compare values.
* Using a library like Lodash's `maxBy()` function.

However, these alternatives may be less concise and more verbose than using `Math.max.apply(arr)`, `Math.max(...arr)`, or `Math.max(1, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 2, ...arr)`.

Related benchmarks:

Spread vs. Apply (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: Apply vs Spread vs Spread with existing args

Created: 6 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

Apply

Spread

Spread with existing args

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):