Benchmark: string array default sort vs string compare

Script Preparation code:

var a = [];
for (let i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
  a.push('' + i);
}

Tests:

default sort
a.slice().sort()
compare
a.slice().sort((a, b) => a === b ? 0 : a < b ? -1 : 1)

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
default sort
compare

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

No previous run results

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

LLMs can make mistakes. Check important info.

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

**Overview**

MeasureThat.net allows users to create and run JavaScript microbenchmarks to compare different approaches to solving a specific problem or testing a particular aspect of JavaScript performance. The website provides a simple way for developers to understand how different methods impact execution speed, making it easier to choose the most efficient approach.

**Benchmark Definition JSON**

The provided benchmark definition JSON represents two test cases:

1. "string array default sort vs string compare"
	* This is the main benchmark being tested.
	* It creates an empty array `a` and populates it with 1000 strings, where each string represents a number incremented by 1 (e.g., "0", "1", "2", ...).
2. Two sub-benchmarks:
	* "default sort"
	* "compare"

The script preparation code generates the data for both test cases:

```javascript
var a = [];
for (let i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
  a.push('' + i);
}
```

**Options being compared**

In this benchmark, two options are being compared:

1. **Default sort**: The array is sorted in ascending order using the `sort()` method without any custom comparison function.
2. **Compare**: A custom comparison function is provided to determine the sorting order. In this case, the comparison function checks if the strings are equal (using `===`) and returns 0, or -1 if string `a` is less than string `b`.

**Pros and Cons of each approach**

* **Default sort**:
	+ Pros: Simple and straightforward.
	+ Cons: May not be optimized for performance in all cases, as it uses a simple comparison function that may lead to unnecessary comparisons.
* **Compare**:
	+ Pros: Allows for more control over the sorting order, which can improve performance in certain scenarios.
	+ Cons: Requires manual implementation of a custom comparison function, which can add complexity and potentially impact performance if not optimized correctly.

**Library usage**

In this benchmark, no specific JavaScript library is used. The code relies solely on built-in JavaScript functions like `sort()`.

**Special JS features or syntax**

This benchmark does not use any special JavaScript features or syntax beyond the standard `sort()` method and custom comparison function.

**Other alternatives**

If you were to approach this benchmark from a different angle, here are some alternative methods:

1. Using `Array.prototype.sort.call()`: Instead of using the `sort()` method directly on an array, you could use `Array.prototype.sort.call(a, (a, b) => ...)`.
2. Employing parallel processing: You could divide the array into smaller chunks and process each chunk in parallel to measure the impact of concurrent execution.
3. Using a different sorting algorithm: Instead of using the default sort method, you could explore alternative sorting algorithms like merge sort, quicksort, or heapsort.

Keep in mind that these alternatives would require modifications to the benchmark code and might not provide meaningful results without careful consideration of performance implications.

Related benchmarks:

string array default sort vs string compare (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: default sort vs compare

Created: 2 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

default sort

compare

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):