Benchmark: DataView vs Uint8Array by bytes

Script Preparation code:

var size = 0xFF;
var buf = new ArrayBuffer(size);
var view = new DataView(buf);
var byte = new Uint8Array(buf);

var data = [];

for (let i = 0; i < size; i++) {
	data[i] = 100*Math.random();
}

Tests:

DataView
for (let i; i < size; i++) { view.setUint8(i, data[i]); }
Uint8Array by byte
for (let i; i < size; i++) { byte[i] = data[i]; }
Uint8Array with set
byte.set(data, 0);

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
DataView
Uint8Array by byte
Uint8Array with set

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

Run details: (Test run date: 3 months ago)

User agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:146.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/146.0

Browser/OS: Firefox 146 on Linux

View result in a separate tab

Test name	Executions per second
DataView	2021099264.0 Ops/sec
Uint8Array by byte	2058639488.0 Ops/sec
Uint8Array with set	1076342.4 Ops/sec

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

LLMs can make mistakes. Check important info.

Let's dive into the benchmark and explain what's being tested.

**Benchmark Overview**

The benchmark is designed to compare three approaches for setting values in a Uint8Array:

1. **DataView**: Using the DataView API to set values directly on the ArrayBuffer.
2. **Uint8Array by byte**: Setting individual bytes of the Uint8Array using indexing (e.g., `byte[i] = data[i]`).
3. **Uint8Array with set**: Using the `set()` method of the Uint8Array, which sets all elements from an array to the Uint8Array.

**Comparison**

The benchmark aims to measure the performance difference between these three approaches. The test case uses a fixed-size ArrayBuffer (0xFF bytes) and populates it with random values.

**Library and Features**

No specific libraries or features are used in this benchmark, aside from standard JavaScript APIs.

**Options Compared**

Here's a brief overview of each approach:

1. **DataView**: This approach sets values directly on the ArrayBuffer using the DataView API. It provides a way to access and manipulate binary data in an ArrayBuffer without having to manually manage memory.
	* Pros: Efficient, as it avoids manual memory management and indexing. Can be faster for large datasets.
	* Cons: May require additional setup and understanding of the DataView API.
2. **Uint8Array by byte**: This approach sets individual bytes of the Uint8Array using indexing (e.g., `byte[i] = data[i]`). It's a straightforward, language-agnostic way to set values in a Uint8Array.
	* Pros: Easy to understand and implement. No additional library or API knowledge required.
	* Cons: May be slower due to indexing operations, which can incur overhead.
3. **Uint8Array with set**: This approach uses the `set()` method of the Uint8Array, which sets all elements from an array to the Uint8Array.
	* Pros: Convenient and easy to use, as it leverages a standard JavaScript API.
	* Cons: May be slower than other approaches due to the overhead of creating an array and copying its contents.

**Other Considerations**

When choosing between these approaches, consider the following factors:

* Performance: If you're working with large datasets or performance-critical code, using DataView might provide better results. For smaller datasets or non-performance critical code, Uint8Array by byte or with set might be sufficient.
* Complexity: DataView requires additional setup and understanding of its API, while Uint8Array by byte and with set are more straightforward to implement.

**Alternatives**

If you're looking for alternative approaches, consider:

* **Buffer**: The Buffer class is similar to ArrayBuffer but provides a higher-level interface for working with binary data.
* **Typed Arrays**: Other typed arrays like Int32Array, Float64Array, or Uint16Array can be used in place of Uint8Array, depending on your specific use case.

Keep in mind that the performance differences between these approaches will vary depending on the specific scenario and browser. The benchmark results provided are just a starting point for understanding the relative performance characteristics of each approach.

Related benchmarks:

DataView vs Uint8Array by bytes (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: DataView vs Uint8Array by byte vs Uint8Array with set

Created: 6 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

DataView

Uint8Array by byte

Uint8Array with set

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

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