Benchmark: if-else vs switch22

Tests:

Switch case
const a = 1; switch (a) { case 5: console.log("a is 5"); break; case 4: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 3: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 41: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 31: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 42: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 33: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 44: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 35: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 46: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 37: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 48: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 39: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 40: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 311: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 422: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 333: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 444: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 355: console.log("a is 4"); break; case 2: console.log("a is 2"); break; case 1: console.log("a is 1"); break; }
if-else
const a = 1; if (a == 5) { console.log("a is 5"); } else if (a == 4) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a.z == "foo") { console.log('not happening') } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 3) { console.log("a is 4"); } else if (a == 2) { console.log("a is 2"); } else if (a == 1) { console.log("a is 1"); }

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
Switch case
if-else

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

Run details: (Test run date: 2 years ago)

User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 10; K) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/120.0.0.0 Mobile Safari/537.36

Browser/OS: Chrome Mobile 120 on Android

View result in a separate tab

Test name	Executions per second
Switch case	33957.4 Ops/sec
if-else	33112.5 Ops/sec

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

LLMs can make mistakes. Check important info.

**Overview of the Benchmark**

The provided benchmark is designed to compare the performance of JavaScript switch statements versus if-else statements. The test creates two identical scripts: one using a switch statement and another using an if-else chain with multiple conditions.

**Switch Statement (Test Case 1)**

In this test, the value of `a` is used as the key in a switch statement. The case values are defined to cover various numbers from 1 to 311. When `a` matches any of these values, the corresponding console message is logged.

**If-Else Statement (Test Case 2)**

In this test, the value of `a` is used in an if-else chain with multiple conditions. The goal is to find a condition that will not be executed, which means printing "not happening".

**Comparison and Analysis**

The main difference between these two approaches is how they handle matching values.

*   **Switch Statement:** A switch statement checks for exact matches between the value of `a` and the case values. This makes it efficient when dealing with a fixed set of distinct values, as seen in this test.
*   **If-Else Statement:** An if-else chain checks for equality using the "==" operator. However, in this test, multiple instances of the same condition are used to intentionally prevent matching any specific value. This creates an inefficient chain due to redundant conditions and makes it vulnerable to optimizations.

**Pros and Cons**

*   **Switch Statement:**
    *   Pros:
        + Efficient when dealing with distinct values.
        + Can be optimized using branch prediction.
    *   Cons:
        + Limited in its ability to handle non-integer or complex data types.
*   **If-Else Statement:**
    + Pros:
        *   Flexible and can handle various data types.
    + Cons:
        *   Inefficient due to redundant conditions and lack of optimization.

**Library Used**

There is no explicit library mentioned in the benchmark, but it's likely that JavaScript core functions are used, including `console.log()` for output.

**Special JS Features/Syntax**

This test does not explicitly use any special JavaScript features or syntax, such as async/await, closures, or destructuring. However, it relies on optimization techniques inherent to the language and its interpreter.

**Alternatives and Considerations**

For similar benchmarks, other approaches can be explored:

1.  **String Matching:** Compare string matching with regular expressions against simple string comparisons.
2.  **Object-Oriented Programming (OOP):** Use OOP principles like encapsulation and inheritance to create more complex tests.
3.  **Async/Await:** Create tests that involve asynchronous operations using async/await.

When designing benchmarks, consider factors such as:

*   **Relevance:** Ensure the test accurately represents real-world scenarios or common use cases.
*   **Efficiency:** Optimize the benchmark for a specific technology stack or language variant.
*   **Variability:** Include multiple test configurations and device/platform combinations to simulate real-world variability.

**Conclusion**

The provided benchmark serves as an example of how switch statements can outperform if-else chains in certain scenarios due to their efficient nature. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each approach, developers can create more effective benchmarks that accurately reflect real-world performance characteristics.

Related benchmarks:

if-else vs switch22 (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: Switch case vs if-else

Created: 2 years ago by: Registered User

Jump to the latest result

Switch case

if-else

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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