c - Compare int and unsigned int

Question

If one needs to compare int x with unsigned int y which is safer/better/nicer in C99 and with gcc 4.4+:

1. (unsigned int)x == y
2. x == (int)y

Does it matter?

Answer 1

Safest is to check that the number is in range before casting:

if (x >= 0 && ((unsigned int)x) == y)