Most efficient way to create a zero filled JavaScript array?

Question

What is the most efficient way to create an arbitrary length zero filled array in JavaScript?

Answer 1

I knew I had this proto'd somewhere :)

Array.prototype.init = function(x,n)
{
    if(typeof(n)=='undefined') { n = this.length; }
    while (n--) { this[n] = x; }
    return this;
}

var a = (new Array(5)).init(0);

var b = [].init(0,4);

Edit: tests

In response to Joshua and others methods I ran my own benchmarking, and I'm seeing completely different results to those reported.

Here's what I tested:

//my original method
Array.prototype.init = function(x,n)
{
    if(typeof(n)=='undefined') { n = this.length; }
    while (n--) { this[n] = x; }
    return this;
}

//now using push which I had previously thought to be slower than direct assignment
Array.prototype.init2 = function(x,n)
{
    if(typeof(n)=='undefined') { n = this.length; }
    while (n--) { this.push(x); }
    return this;
}

//joshua's method
function newFilledArray(len, val) {
    var a = [];
    while(len--){
        a.push(val);
    }
    return a;
}

//test m1 and m2 with short arrays many times 10K * 10

var a = new Date();
for(var i=0; i<10000; i++)
{
    var t1 = [].init(0,10);
}
var A = new Date();

var b = new Date();
for(var i=0; i<10000; i++)
{
    var t2 = [].init2(0,10);
}
var B = new Date();

//test m1 and m2 with long array created once 100K

var c = new Date();
var t3 = [].init(0,100000);
var C = new Date();

var d = new Date();
var t4 = [].init2(0,100000);
var D = new Date();

//test m3 with short array many times 10K * 10

var e = new Date();
for(var i=0; i<10000; i++)
{
    var t5 = newFilledArray(10,0);
}
var E = new Date();

//test m3 with long array created once 100K

var f = new Date();
var t6 = newFilledArray(100000, 0)
var F = new Date();

Results:

IE7 deltas:
dA=156
dB=359
dC=125
dD=375
dE=468
dF=412

FF3.5 deltas:
dA=6
dB=13
dC=63
dD=8
dE=12
dF=8

So by my reckoning push is indeed slower generally but performs better with longer arrays in FF but worse in IE which just sucks in general (quel surprise).