What is the difference between optional chaining and regular access in JavaScript?

What is the difference between optional chaining and regular access in JavaScript?

Optional chaining allows you to safely access deeply nested properties without having to check each level for null or undefined. Regular access, on the other hand, will throw an error if you try to access a property on an undefined object.

Can you give me an example of both?

Sure! With regular access, if you have obj.a.b, and obj.a is undefined, it will throw an error. With optional chaining, you can use obj.a?.b, which will return undefined instead of throwing an error.

Are there any performance differences between the two?

Generally, optional chaining may have a slight overhead due to the additional checks it performs, but in most cases, the difference is negligible compared to the safety it provides.

When should I use optional chaining?

You should use optional chaining when you're dealing with objects that may not have all the properties defined, especially in complex data structures or when working with APIs.