Let's break down what's being tested in this benchmark.

What is being compared?

The benchmark compares two different approaches to sorting an array of objects:

1. Using the Array.sort() method with a custom comparison function.
2. Using the _orderBy function from the Lodash library (version 4.17.5).

What are we sorting?

We're sorting an array of objects, where each object has two properties: id and text. The benchmark is specifically sorting this array in descending order by text and ascending order by id.

The options compared:

1. Array.sort(): This method sorts the array using a custom comparison function that takes two objects (a and b) as input. The function returns a value that determines the sort order:
   • If a.text < b.text, return 1 (descending order).
   • If a.text === b.text, compare the id values: if a.id > b.id, return 1 (ascending order), otherwise return -1.
2. _.orderBy: This function from Lodash takes an array, a list of properties to sort by (['text', 'id']), and a list of sort orders (['desc', 'asc']) as input. It returns the sorted array.

Pros/Cons:

Here are some general pros and cons of each approach:

1. Array.sort():
   • Pros: built-in, simple to use.
   • Cons: can be slower for complex sorting tasks (like comparing objects with multiple properties), requires a custom comparison function.
2. _.orderBy:
   • Pros: more flexible, allows for easy specification of sort orders and properties.
   • Cons: requires an external library (Lodash), may have performance overhead due to the library's own implementation.

Other considerations:

When deciding which approach to use, consider factors like:

1. Performance requirements: If you need to sort large datasets or perform sorting frequently, using a specialized library like Lodash might be beneficial.
2. Code complexity: If your codebase is already using Lodash, it might be more convenient to stick with _.orderBy for consistency.

Library and its purpose:

The Lodash library (version 4.17.5) provides utility functions for JavaScript development. In this case, the _orderBy function simplifies the process of sorting arrays by multiple properties with custom orders.

JS feature or syntax used:

None specific to this benchmark are mentioned.

Alternatives:

If you don't want to use Lodash, alternative approaches to sorting arrays could be:

1. Using a custom comparison function with Array.prototype.sort().
2. Implementing your own sorting algorithm (e.g., quicksort or mergesort).
3. Utilizing other JavaScript libraries or frameworks that provide sorting functionality.

Hope this explanation helps!