require "benchmark"

reps = 5_000_000
str = "1"

Benchmark.bm do |b|

	b.report("comparing string: ") do
		reps.times {
			str == "1"
		}
	end

	b.report("casting string:   ") do
		reps.times {
			str.to_i == 1
		}
	end

end

__END__

      user     system      total        real
comparing string:   1.480000   0.000000   1.480000 (  1.494659)
casting string:     1.930000   0.010000   1.940000 (  1.949158)