Let's dive into the world of JavaScript microbenchmarks!

What is being tested?

The benchmark compares the performance of using Number versus BigInt data types for large numbers in JavaScript. The test case uses a simple loop that performs bitwise operations (<<, |, and ^) on two large numbers.

Options compared:

1. Number: Using regular JavaScript numbers, which are represented as 64-bit floating-point numbers.
2. BigInt: A relatively new data type in JavaScript (introduced in ECMAScript 2020) that represents arbitrarily large integers.

Pros and Cons:

• Number:
  • Pros: Widely supported across browsers, easy to use, and doesn't require any specific syntax changes.
  • Cons: Limited precision for very large numbers, can lead to performance issues due to floating-point arithmetic.
• BigInt:
  • Pros: Offers arbitrary-precision integer arithmetic, allowing for precise calculations with very large numbers.
  • Cons: Requires the use of n suffix (e.g., 1000000n) to indicate BigInt literals, which can be unfamiliar to some developers.

Other considerations:

• Browser support: Both options are widely supported in modern browsers. However, older browsers might not support BigInt.
• Performance impact: The test case measures the performance of bitwise operations on large numbers. In general, BigInt is expected to perform better than Number due to its arbitrary-precision arithmetic capabilities.

Library usage:

None mentioned in this benchmark definition.

Special JS features or syntax:

None mentioned in this benchmark definition.

Benchmark preparation code explanation:

The script prepares two large numbers (bigInt1, bigInt2) and two regular numbers (number1, number2). The test loop then performs bitwise operations on these pairs of numbers using the <<, |, and ^ operators. The benchmark definition specifies that the test cases use these specific values.

Individual test case explanations:

The two individual test cases are identical, except for the data type used to represent the large numbers:

1. BigInt: The first test case uses BigInt literals with the n suffix (1000000n, 10n). It measures the performance of bitwise operations on these BigInt values.
2. Number: The second test case uses regular JavaScript numbers (1000000, 10) and measures their performance in comparison to the first test case.

Latest benchmark result explanation:

The latest benchmark results show that:

• The Chrome 121 browser running on a Linux desktop performs better for the Number option, with an average of 1139.66 executions per second.
• The Chrome 121 browser running on a Linux desktop also performs better for the BigInt option, but at a slower rate than the Number option (average of 1208.12 executions per second).

Keep in mind that these results might vary depending on the specific hardware and software environment.

Other alternatives:

Some alternative approaches to benchmarking JavaScript performance could include:

• Using other data types like BigInt or Number with different precision options.
• Implementing custom arithmetic operations for large numbers using a library or by rewriting the test cases in AssemblyScript or another low-level language.
• Utilizing parallel processing or multi-threaded execution to measure performance on multicore systems.

However, these alternatives might require additional setup and expertise.