jquery html vs empty vs innerHTML (v13)

Revision 13 of this benchmark created on

Preparation HTML

<ul id="my_list">
</ul>
<script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1/jquery.min.js">
</script>
<script>
  $(function() {
    var i = 0,
        $ul = $('#my_list'),
        $li = $('<li />').html('list item');

    while (i < 100) {
      $ul.append($li.clone());
      i++;
    }
  });


  function empty(element) {
    var i;
    for (i = element.childNodes.length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
    element.removeChild(element.childNodes(i));
  }

  function empty2(element) {
    while (element.childNodes.length > 0)
    element.removeChild(element.childNodes(0));
  }

  function empty3(element) {
    var child;
    while (child = element.lastChild) {
      element.removeChild(child);
    }
  }

  function empty4(element) {
    var child;
    while (child = element.lastChild) {
      child.remove();
    }
  }

  function empty5(element) {
    var child;
    while (child = element.firstChild) {
      child.remove();
    }
  }
   function empty6(element) {
                
                        // Remove any remaining nodes
                 while (child = elem.lastChild) {
        elem.removeChild(child);
      }
                }
</script>

Test runner

Ready to run.

Testing in
TestOps/sec
innerHTML
document.getElementById('my_list').innerHTML = '';
ready
jquery html
$('#my_list').html('');
ready
jquery empty
$('#my_list').empty();
ready
custom empty function
empty(document.getElementById('my_list'))
ready
custom empty function 2
empty2(document.getElementById('my_list'))
ready
custom empty function 3
empty3(document.getElementById('my_list'))
ready
Chrome lastChild.remove
empty4(document.getElementById('my_list'))
ready
Chrome firstChild.remove
empty5(document.getElementById('my_list'))
ready
jQuery1.5.1 empty code test
empty6(document.getElementById('my_list'))
ready

Revisions

You can edit these tests or add more tests to this page by appending /edit to the URL.