Benchmark: Sort vs if vs ternary operator (in functions)

Script Preparation code:

var number = Math.random() * 1000;

function arrayPickCentre(val, min, max) {
    return [val, max, min].sort((a,b) => a > b)[1];
}

function mathClampCustom(val, min, max) {
    return val < min ? min : (val > max ? max : val);
}

function ifPicker(val, min, max) {
  if (val < min) {
    return min;
  } else if (val > max) {
    return max;
  } else {
    return val;
  }
}

Tests:

Array-sort
arrayPickCentre(number, 250, 750);
ternary
mathClampCustom(number, 250, 750);
if-based
ifPicker(number, 250, 750)

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
Array-sort
ternary
if-based

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

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

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**Overview of the Benchmark**

The provided JSON represents a JavaScript benchmark test case on MeasureThat.net. The goal is to compare the performance of three different approaches for clamping a value within a specified range: `arrayPickCentre`, `mathClampCustom`, and `ifPicker`.

**Approaches Compared**

1. **Array-sort**: This approach uses the built-in `sort` function in JavaScript arrays to determine the middle index of the range.
2. **Ternary operator**: This approach uses a ternary operator (`? :`) to calculate the clamped value based on the input value and range limits.
3. **if-based**: This approach uses an if-else statement to calculate the clamped value based on the input value and range limits.

**Pros and Cons of Each Approach**

1. **Array-sort**:
	* Pros: Simple, efficient, and scalable.
	* Cons: May be slower due to overhead of sorting algorithm, especially for large ranges.
2. **Ternary operator**:
	* Pros: Fast, lightweight, and easy to understand.
	* Cons: May lead to less readable code if not properly optimized, and can cause issues with performance if the ternary chain is too deep.
3. **if-based**:
	* Pros: Easy to read and understand, flexible for more complex clamping logic.
	* Cons: Can be slower due to branch prediction overhead, especially in cases where the condition is difficult to predict.

**Library Used**

None of the approaches rely on external libraries.

**Special JavaScript Feature or Syntax**

The `sort` function used in the `arrayPickCentre` approach relies on JavaScript's built-in sorting algorithm. No special JavaScript features or syntax are required for this approach.

**Other Considerations**

When designing and optimizing performance-critical code, it's essential to consider factors like:

* Branch prediction overhead
* Cache locality
* Memory allocation and deallocation
* Algorithmic complexity

In the case of this benchmark, the choice of approach may also depend on the specific requirements of the application or domain being served.

**Alternatives**

Other approaches for clamping values within a range could include:

1. Using bitwise operations (e.g., shifting and masking) to calculate the middle index.
2. Utilizing hardware instructions (if available) that can perform arithmetic and conditional operations in parallel.
3. Implementing a custom algorithm specifically optimized for the required use case.

However, these alternatives may not be as well-suited or widely supported as the approaches used here.

Related benchmarks:

Sort vs if vs ternary operator (in functions) (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: Array-sort vs ternary vs if-based

Created: 4 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

Array-sort

ternary

if-based

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

No previous run results

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