Benchmark: Lodash.isEqual vs Array.join() Equality Comparison for Shallow Array of Strings.

HTML Preparation code:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/lodash@4.17.4/lodash.min.js"></script>

Script Preparation code:

window.foo = ['cat', 'dog', 'bird'];
window.bar = ['cat', 'dog', 'bird'];

Tests:

_.isEqual
_.isEqual(window.foo, window.bar)
Array.join()
window.foo.join() === window.bar.join()

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
_.isEqual
Array.join()

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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/128.0.0.0 Safari/537.36

Browser/OS: Chrome 128 on Windows

View result in a separate tab

Test name	Executions per second
_.isEqual	1925259.1 Ops/sec
Array.join()	2486935.0 Ops/sec

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

LLMs can make mistakes. Check important info.

Let's break down the provided benchmark definition and test cases.

**Overview**

MeasureThat.net is a website that allows users to create and run JavaScript microbenchmarks. The goal of this benchmark is to compare the performance of two approaches: using Lodash's `isEqual` function and using the `Array.join()` method for equality comparison on a shallow array of strings.

**Test Cases**

There are two test cases:

1. **_.isEqual(window.foo, window.bar)**

This test case uses the `_.isEqual` function from Lodash library to compare two arrays: `window.foo` and `window.bar`. The purpose of this library is to provide a set of functional programming helpers, including functions for comparing data.

The pros of using `_.isEqual` are:

* It provides a concise and readable way to perform complex comparisons.
* It supports multiple comparison types (e.g., deep equality, strict equality).
* It's often faster than implementing custom comparison logic.

However, the cons are:

* It relies on external library (Lodash), which may introduce additional overhead or dependencies.
* Some users might not be familiar with Lodash or its API.

2. **window.foo.join() === window.bar.join()**

This test case uses the `Array.join()` method to compare two arrays: `window.foo` and `window.bar`. The purpose of this approach is to use the built-in array method to concatenate elements into a string, and then compare the resulting strings for equality.

The pros of using `Array.join()` are:

* It's a native JavaScript function that doesn't rely on external libraries.
* It can be more predictable and efficient than using Lodash's `isEqual` function.

However, the cons are:

* It may not perform well with large arrays or complex data structures (since it involves creating intermediate strings).
* It requires the use of the `===` operator for equality comparison, which might not be immediately apparent to all users.

**Other Considerations**

When choosing between these two approaches, consider the following factors:

* **Complexity**: If you need to compare arrays with nested or complex data structures, Lodash's `isEqual` function may provide a more readable and maintainable solution.
* **Performance**: For large arrays or performance-critical applications, the built-in `Array.join()` method might be more efficient.
* **Readability**: If you're working on a project where readability is crucial, using Lodash's `isEqual` function can help keep your code concise and easy to understand.

**Alternatives**

If you're looking for alternatives to these two approaches, consider the following options:

1. **Native array comparison methods**: Most browsers support native array comparison methods like `every()`, `some()`, or `indexOf()`. These methods might provide a more efficient alternative to Lodash's `isEqual` function.
2. **Custom comparison functions**: You can create custom comparison functions using arrow functions, loops, or other JavaScript constructs. This approach allows for full control over the comparison logic but requires more code and expertise.

In summary, MeasureThat.net provides a helpful benchmarking platform for comparing performance and readability of different approaches to equality comparison in JavaScript. By understanding the pros and cons of each method and considering alternative options, you can make informed decisions about which approach best suits your project's needs.

Related benchmarks:

Lodash.isEqual vs Array.join() Equality Comparison for Shallow Array of Strings. (version: 0)

Test on isEqual performance

Comparing performance of: _.isEqual vs Array.join()

Created: 5 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

_.isEqual

Array.join()

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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