Benchmark: Spread operator vs apply - dpiercey

Script Preparation code:

function test(a, b, c, d, e) {
    return a + b + c + d + e;
}
var result;
var using = (new Array(5)).fill(null).map(() => Math.random());

Tests:

spread
result = test(...using);
apply
result = test.apply(null, using)

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
spread
apply

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):

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Let's dive into the world of JavaScript microbenchmarks!

The provided JSON represents a benchmark test case created using MeasureThat.net. The test aims to compare two approaches for dynamically calling a function with arbitrary arguments: the spread operator (`...`) and `apply()`.

**Benchmark Definition**

The script preparation code defines a simple function `test(a, b, c, d, e)` that returns the sum of its five arguments. A random array `using` is generated to simulate dynamic argument passing.

**Options Compared**

There are two test cases:

1. **Spread Operator (`...`)**: This approach uses the spread operator to pass an array of arguments to the function. The syntax is `result = test(...using);`. Pros:
	* Concise and readable.
	* Allows for easy extension to support more than 5 arguments.
Cons:
	* May incur a slight performance overhead due to the creation of a new array.
2. **`apply()`**: This approach uses the `apply()` method to pass an array of arguments to the function. The syntax is `result = test.apply(null, using);`. Pros:
	* Efficient and fast, as it avoids creating a new array.
Cons:
	* Less readable than the spread operator syntax.

**Other Considerations**

Both approaches have their trade-offs:

* **Argument count**: With the spread operator, you can easily pass any number of arguments. With `apply()`, you're limited to 5 arguments (or less if using a smaller array).
* **Memory allocation**: Creating a new array with the spread operator may lead to memory allocation overhead.

**Library and Special JS Features**

In this benchmark, there are no external libraries or special JavaScript features used. The focus is solely on comparing two native syntaxes: `...` and `apply()`.

**Alternatives**

If you want to explore other alternatives for dynamic argument passing:

* **Rest parameters**: Introduced in ECMAScript 2015 (ES6), rest parameters allow you to specify a variable number of arguments after a specific set of named parameters. Example: `function test(a, ..., d, e) { ... }`
* **Function expressions with multiple arguments**: Instead of using `apply()` or the spread operator, you can create a function expression with multiple arguments and call it directly. Example: `const test = (a, b, c, d, e) => { return a + b + c + d + e; };`

While the alternatives might offer different use cases, they generally provide more flexibility than the original spread operator vs `apply()` comparison.

Hope this explanation helps you understand the benchmark better!

Related benchmarks:

Spread operator vs apply - dpiercey (version: 0)

Compare the differing ways you can call a function with arbitrary arguments dynamically

Comparing performance of: spread vs apply

Created: 5 years ago by: Guest

Jump to the latest result

spread

apply

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):