Incremental DOM has a low memory footprint primarily because it modifies the existing DOM in-place and only allocates memory when DOM nodes are added or removed. This approach contrasts with Virtual DOM, which creates a complete copy of the DOM tree in memory every time a re-render is required.
Key Reasons for Low Memory Footprint of Incremental DOM
In-Place Updates: Incremental DOM updates the existing DOM tree directly. It does not require the creation of a separate virtual DOM tree to track changes. This direct manipulation reduces the amount of memory needed since it avoids duplicating the entire DOM structure in memory[1][2].
Selective Memory Allocation: Memory is allocated only for the changes that occur in the DOM, such as when new nodes are added or existing ones are removed. If there are no changes to the DOM, no additional memory is allocated. This is particularly efficient in scenarios where changes to the DOM are minimal or incremental[1][2].
Tree Shakability: Incremental DOM supports tree shaking, a modern JavaScript optimization technique used during the build process to remove unused code. This feature is beneficial because it reduces the overall bundle size and memory usage by including only the necessary instructions in the final build[1][2][3].
Efficiency in Static and Dynamic Updates: Since Incremental DOM applies changes directly to the real DOM and only when necessary, it is particularly efficient at handling both static content (which does not change) and dynamic content (which changes). This efficiency is crucial for applications with parts of the UI that remain static, as no unnecessary memory is used to represent these parts[2][3].
Trade-offs
While Incremental DOM is efficient in terms of memory usage, it...
