Let's dive into the world of JavaScript microbenchmarks on MeasureThat.net.

Benchmark Definition: The benchmark is designed to compare two approaches for accessing the last element of an array in JavaScript:

1. array[array.length - 1]
2. array.at(-1)

The goal is to determine which approach is more efficient and less prone to Out Of Memory (OOM) errors.

Options Compared:

1. array[array.length - 1]: This method uses array indexing, which creates a new reference to the last element in the array. The length of the array is calculated at runtime, which can lead to OOM errors if the array grows too large.
2. array.at(-1): This method was introduced in ECMAScript 2019 (ES11) as part of the Array.prototype.at() method. It allows direct access to the last element of an array without creating a new reference, making it more memory-efficient.

Pros and Cons:

• array[array.length - 1]:
  • Pros: Wide browser support, easy to understand.
  • Cons: Can lead to OOM errors if arrays grow too large, creates a new reference to the last element.
• array.at(-1):
  • Pros: More memory-efficient, less prone to OOM errors, modern and efficient.
  • Cons: Requires ECMAScript 2019 or later support.

Other Considerations:

• The benchmark script preparation code creates an array with 1000 elements, which is a common use case for this type of benchmark.
• The array.at(-1) method is specifically designed to handle arrays with many elements without creating new references, making it a more suitable choice for large datasets.

Library Usage: There are no libraries mentioned in the provided code snippet. However, it's essential to note that some JavaScript engines or browsers might have built-in optimizations or special handling for certain library functions or methods.

Special JS Features/Syntax: The at() method is a modern feature introduced in ECMAScript 2019 (ES11). It allows direct access to the last element of an array without creating a new reference. If you're targeting older browsers, this feature might not be supported.

Other Alternatives:

If array.at(-1) is not supported by your target browser, you can consider using other alternatives:

• array[array.length - 1]: This method creates a new reference to the last element, similar to array[array.length - 1].
• Array.prototype.slice().at(-1): This method creates a new array with the last element and then accesses it using at().