Charging battery with battery charger vs jump starting and running the car

Got a 1998 Toyota Camry that has an empty battery and am wondering what the best course of action is.

Why is it empty?

Is it empty because the battery is old and dying and won't hold capacity?

Or is it empty because you yesterday forgot the lights on?

The correct course of action depends on the reason for it being empty.

If the battery is good but you just forgot the lights on, and it has been empty only for a short duration of time (lead-acid batteries don't like extended deep discharge), then go ahead and jump start the car. That's the fastest way. You have to be careful when driving the car afterwards because if you accidentally misuse the clutch and cause the engine to stall, there's a risk you can't start it again. But with a little bit of care, you can drive it.

If the battery is empty because it is old and dying, do not jump start it! The problem is that when jump starting, it is actually the donor battery providing charge. When you disconnect the donor vehicle, the only good battery in the electrical system goes away. The dying old battery in the recipient car can't act as a buffer for the electrical system. The alternator can then produce voltage spikes, destroying expensive electronic equipment all around the car. The newer the recipient car is, the more damage you will see. I would say 1998 car has enough electronics that you don't want to destroy all of them.

So with an old and dying battery, you can try to see whether charging will remedy the situation. You can charge it slowly with a battery charger or rapidly from a donor car with jump start leads, but in that case don't turn the recipient car engine on. Then check to see whether the old battery is able to start the engine (with charger / jump start leads disconnected). If not, it's time to purchase a new battery. If it can start the engine, keep an eye of the situation and estimate when you need the new battery, if you need it at all.

If you forgot the lights on, and then left the battery sit for a week or two not bothering to fix the situation, then the health of the battery is unknown -- on one hand, the battery was good before the event, but on the other hand, lead acid batteries don't like extended deep discharge. So it is possible the deep discharge has damaged the battery. It's always safer to charge and then try starting than to jump start.