Benchmark: setAttribute("class", "foo") vs classList.add("foo")

HTML Preparation code:

<div id="container"></div>

Script Preparation code:

var container = document.getElementById("container");

Tests:

setAttribute
for (let i = 0; i < 100; ++i) { var div = document.createElement("div"); div.setAttribute("class", "foo"); container.appendChild(div); }
classList
for (let i = 0; i < 100; ++i) { var div = document.createElement("div"); div.classList.add("foo"); container.appendChild(div); }

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
setAttribute
classList

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 break down the provided benchmark and explain what's being tested.

**Benchmark Definition**

The benchmark is comparing two ways to add a class to an HTML element: using the `setAttribute` method or using the `classList.add` method.

**Options Compared**

There are two options being compared:

1. **setAttribute**: This method sets the value of a named attribute on an element. In this case, it's setting the `class` attribute to `"foo"`.
2. **classList.add**: This method adds a class with the given name to the element.

**Pros and Cons**

Here are some pros and cons of each approach:

* **setAttribute**:
	+ Pros: Simple, widely supported (across browsers), and fast.
	+ Cons: Can lead to slower performance if not used carefully, as it involves setting an attribute on the element. Additionally, some older browsers may have issues with this method.
* **classList.add**:
	+ Pros: Modern, efficient, and easy to use. It's also more flexible than `setAttribute`, as it allows for adding multiple classes at once.
	+ Cons: May not be supported in older browsers, and its performance can vary depending on the browser and implementation.

**Library Used**

There is no library used in this benchmark. However, the `classList` method is a standard part of HTML5 APIs, introduced with the W3C Web APIs specification in 2014.

**Special JS Feature or Syntax**

There are no special JavaScript features or syntaxes being tested in this benchmark. Both methods are relatively straightforward and widely supported.

**Other Considerations**

When running benchmarks like this one, it's essential to consider factors such as:

* **Browser support**: As mentioned earlier, older browsers may not support `classList.add` or have issues with `setAttribute`.
* **Performance overhead**: Some libraries or frameworks might introduce additional performance overhead when using certain methods.
* **Code readability and maintainability**: While benchmarking, it's also essential to consider code readability and maintainability. In this case, both approaches are relatively simple, but the `classList.add` method is often considered more readable.

**Alternatives**

Other alternatives for adding classes to HTML elements include:

* Using a CSS class: Instead of using JavaScript to add a class, you can use CSS to apply styles based on classes.
* Using an attribute selector: Some browsers support attribute selectors in CSS, which allow you to select elements based on attributes.
* Using a library like jQuery or Lodash: These libraries often provide efficient and flexible ways to manipulate HTML elements, including adding classes.

Keep in mind that each alternative has its pros and cons, and the choice ultimately depends on the specific use case, performance requirements, and personal preference.

Related benchmarks:

setAttribute("class", "foo") vs classList.add("foo") (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: setAttribute vs classList

Created: 6 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

setAttribute

classList

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):