Benchmark: set.has vs. array.includes - large array - random Access

Script Preparation code:

var a = [];
for(let i = 0; i < 100000; i++){a.push(i)}
var b = new Set(a)

Tests:

includes
return a.includes(Math.floor(Math.random()*100000))
lookup
return b.has(Math.floor(Math.random()*100000))

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
includes
lookup

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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

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Let's break down the provided benchmark and explain what's being tested, compared, and the pros/cons of each approach.

**Benchmark Definition:**

The benchmark measures the performance difference between two approaches:

1. `set.has`: Checking if an element exists in a `Set` data structure using the `has()` method.
2. `array.includes`: Searching for an element in an array using the `includes()` method.

**Script Preparation Code:**
```javascript
var a = [];
for (let i = 0; i < 100000; i++) {
    a.push(i);
}
var b = new Set(a);
```
This code creates an array `a` with 100,000 elements and then converts it to a `Set` data structure called `b`.

**Html Preparation Code:**
There is no HTML preparation code provided.

**Individual Test Cases:**

The benchmark consists of two test cases:

1. `includes`: Measures the performance of searching for an element in the array using `includes()`.
2. `lookup`: Measures the performance of checking if an element exists in the set using `has()`.

**Library and Purpose:**
In both test cases, a library is used:

* In the script preparation code, the built-in JavaScript `Set` data structure is used to create a set from the array.
* In the individual test cases, no explicit libraries are required. The built-in JavaScript methods `includes()`, `has()`, and the `Set` data structure itself are leveraged.

**Special JS Feature/Syntax:**
There's one special feature in use here:

* The `includes()` method is used to search for an element in the array. This method was introduced in ECMAScript 2015 (ES6) as a way to check if an element exists within a sequence (like an array or string).

**Pros and Cons:**

**`set.has`:**

Pros:

* Fast lookups, with an average time complexity of O(1), making it suitable for large datasets.
* Can take advantage of caching mechanisms implemented by the browser.

Cons:

* Requires a `Set` data structure to be created initially, which can be memory-intensive.

**`array.includes`:**

Pros:

* Easy to use and understand, as it's a standard method in JavaScript.
* No additional memory allocation required.

Cons:

* Average time complexity is O(n), where n is the size of the array. For large arrays, this can lead to slower performance compared to `set.has`.

**Comparison:**
The benchmark measures the performance difference between these two approaches for large datasets. In general, `set.has` is expected to be faster due to its average time complexity of O(1), while `array.includes` has a higher time complexity (O(n)).

**Other Alternatives:**

If you were to test alternative methods, some options could include:

* Using a data structure like a hash table or a binary search tree.
* Implementing a custom searching algorithm, such as a linear search or a binary search.
* Comparing the performance of using `includes()` versus `indexOf()` (which returns the index of the first occurrence, not just a boolean result).

Keep in mind that the choice of alternative methods would depend on specific requirements and use cases. The current benchmark focuses on comparing the performance of two widely used JavaScript methods for large datasets.

Related benchmarks:

set.has vs. array.includes - large array - random Access (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: includes vs lookup

Created: 3 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

includes

lookup

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):