Is the Tilde Operator in JavaScript Still Relevant in Modern Development?

Tilde's Impact on Expressions in JavaScript

In JavaScript, the tilde (~) operator is employed in bitwise operations, specifically to flip all bits in its operand. This bitwise negation finds applications in both low-level programming and performance optimization.

Consider the following code snippet:

var attr = ~'input,textarea'.indexOf( target.tagName.toLowerCase() )
           ? 'value'
           : 'innerHTML'

In this context, ~'input,textarea'.indexOf( target.tagName.toLowerCase() ) transforms the result of indexOf() into a truthy or falsy value. If the index is found (indicating inclusion in the string), the negation results in a positive number, which is then coerced into truthy. Conversely, if the index is not found, the result is a negative number, coerced into falsy.

Despite its occasional utility, the use of the tilde operator is often deemed unnecessarily cryptic or clever. Its potential to obfuscate code's intent is a concern, especially when clearer alternatives are available.

With the introduction of Array.prototype.includes() and String.prototype.includes(), which return boolean values for existence checks, the use of ~ for such purposes has become less relevant. For maximum clarity and performance, these native methods should be favored on supported platforms.

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