Benchmark: if vs ternary operator

Script Preparation code:

this.number = Math.random() * 1000;

Tests:

if...else
var $number = this.number, $result = ""; if ($number === 250) $result = "true"; else $result = "false"; return $result;
ternary operator
var $number = this.number, $result = ""; $result = ($number === 250 ? "true" : "false"); return $result;

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
if...else
ternary operator

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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

LLMs can make mistakes. Check important info.

Let's dive into the world of JavaScript microbenchmarks!

The provided JSON represents two benchmark definitions for comparing the performance of if-else statements versus ternary operators.

**What is being tested?**

The main difference between these two approaches lies in how the condition is evaluated. The first test case, "if...else," uses a traditional if-else statement to evaluate the condition `($number === 250)`. If the condition is true, it assigns `"true"` to `$result`; otherwise, it assigns `"false"`. On the other hand, the second test case, "ternary operator," utilizes the ternary operator (`? :`) to concisely express the same logic. The condition `($number === 250)` is evaluated and assigned a value of either `"true"` or `"false"` directly.

**Options compared**

In this benchmark, we have two main options being compared:

1. **If-else statement**: This approach involves evaluating the condition using an if-else structure.
	* Pros:
		+ Easier to read and understand for some developers.
		+ More explicit control flow.
	* Cons:
		+ Typically slower due to the overhead of conditional checks.
2. **Ternary operator**: This approach uses a single expression with two branches to evaluate the condition.
	* Pros:
		+ Often faster since it can be optimized by the JavaScript engine into a single instruction.
		+ More concise and readable for simple cases.

**Pros and cons**

The choice between these two approaches depends on your specific use case, coding style, and performance requirements. Here's a brief summary:

| Approach | Performance | Readability |
| --- | --- | --- |
| If-else statement | Slower | Higher |
| Ternary operator | Faster (often) | Lower |

However, the ternary operator might not always be faster due to its complexity. In some cases, the JavaScript engine may need more time to analyze and optimize this single expression.

**Library usage**

There is no library explicitly mentioned in the provided benchmark definitions. However, if a test case uses a library, it would likely involve including external code that provides additional functionality or optimization techniques for the specific use case.

**Special JS feature or syntax**

No special JavaScript features or syntax are mentioned in these benchmark definitions. The focus is on comparing the performance of two basic programming constructs: if-else statements and ternary operators.

**Other alternatives**

If you're looking for alternative approaches to improve performance, consider the following:

1. **Use `let` instead of `var`**: In modern JavaScript, `let` and `const` are generally faster than `var`.
2. **Minimize function calls**: If possible, reduce the number of function calls or use inline functions to minimize overhead.
3. **Avoid unnecessary variables**: Minimize the creation of new variables to reduce memory allocation and deallocation overhead.

In conclusion, this benchmark helps compare the performance of if-else statements versus ternary operators in JavaScript. While the ternary operator might be faster due to its conciseness and potentially optimized execution, it's essential to consider your specific use case and coding style when choosing between these approaches.

Latest run results:

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

User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/111.0.0.0 Safari/537.36

Browser/OS: Chrome 111 on Windows

View result in a separate tab

Test name	Executions per second
if...else	751399488.0 Ops/sec
ternary operator	772864768.0 Ops/sec

Related benchmarks:

if vs ternary operator (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: if...else vs ternary operator

Created: 6 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

if...else

ternary operator

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Experimental features:

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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