Underscore vs lodash: What are the differences?

Introduction

Underscore and lodash are both popular utility libraries for JavaScript. They provide a wide range of functions and methods to assist in manipulating arrays, objects, and other data types. While they have many similarities, there are a few key differences between Underscore and lodash that are worth mentioning.

1. Performance: One of the main differences between Underscore and lodash is their performance. Lodash is generally faster than Underscore when it comes to executing functions and operations. This is due to lodash's focus on optimized algorithms and performance improvements over Underscore.

2. Modularity: Lodash offers modularized functions, which means that you can import only the functions that you need, instead of importing the whole library. This can help reduce the size of your JavaScript bundle, as well as improve load times. On the other hand, Underscore does not provide this level of modularity, requiring you to import the entire library even if you only need a few functions.

3. Additional Functions: Lodash provides some additional functions that are not available in Underscore. These additional functions can be quite useful in certain scenarios, such as deep cloning objects, manipulating strings, and working with dates. Underscore, on the other hand, may not have these specific functions built-in.

4. Chaining: Lodash supports method chaining, which allows you to chain multiple functions together in a single expression. This can greatly simplify and enhance the readability of your code. Underscore, although it provides similar functions, does not offer built-in method chaining.

5. Compatibility: Lodash is designed to be more compatible with newer versions of JavaScript, including ECMAScript 6 (ES6) features. It implements many of the ES6 functions and methods that may not be available in older browsers. Underscore, on the other hand, may not have full support for these newer JavaScript features.

6. Community support: Lodash has a larger and more active community compared to Underscore. This means that there is a larger pool of developers who can provide support, contribute to the library, and create plugins or extensions for specific use cases. Additionally, lodash has better documentation, making it easier to learn and use for developers.

In summary, lodash offers better performance, modularity, additional functions, method chaining, compatibility with newer JavaScript versions, and has a larger and more active community compared to Underscore.