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What are the performance implications of using push vs concat in large arrays


The performance implications of using `push` vs `concat` in large arrays depend on several factors:

Performance Benchmarks

1. Concat:
- Slow: Creates a new array, which can lead to significant memory usage and slower performance, especially for large arrays.
- Example: Concatenating two arrays of size 10,000 each, `concat` performs at 0.40 ops/sec, while `push` performs at 378 ops/sec[1].

2. Push:
- Fast: Modifies the original array in-place, which is generally faster and more memory-efficient.
- Example: Pushing elements from one array to another, `push` performs significantly faster than `concat`[1].

Immutability and State Management

1. Immutability:
- Concat: Ensures immutability by creating a new array, which is essential for state management in React and other applications.
- Push: Mutates the original array, which can lead to unexpected behavior and bugs.

2. State Management:
- React: Uses immutability to ensure that state changes are properly detected and re-rendered. `concat` ensures immutability, making it suitable for state updates in React.

Best Practices

1. Use `concat` for State Updates:
- When updating state in React, use `concat` to ensure immutability and avoid unexpected behavior.

2. Use `push` for Performance:
- For performance-critical applications, use `push` to modify the original array in-place.

3. Avoid Mutating State:
- Avoid mutating state directly using methods like `push` or `splice`. Instead, create a new state object with the updated values.

Conclusion

In summary, when it comes to large arrays, `push` is generally faster and more memory-efficient, while `concat` ensures immutability. The choice between the two methods depends on the specific requirements of your application, including performance, state management, and immutability.

Citations:
[1] https://dev.to/uilicious/javascript-array-push-is-945x-faster-than-array-concat-1oki
[2] https://dev.to/uilicious/javascript-array-push-is-945x-faster-than-array-concat-1oki/comments
[3] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/25339803/javascript-concat-vs-push-benchmark
[4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19991339
[5] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/merging-arrays-without-impacting-performance-gopesh-tiwari