use warnings;
use strict;
use feature 'say';

use Inline 'Noclean';
use Inline 'C';

my $aref = [qw(1 2 3 4 5)];

# overwrite the existing aref to minimize memory
# usage. Create a new array if you need the existing
# one intact

@$aref = aref_to_array($aref);

say $_ for @$aref;

__END__
__C__

void aref_to_array(SV* aref){

    // check if the param is an array reference...
    // die() if not

    if (! SvROK(aref) || SvTYPE(SvRV(aref)) != SVt_PVAV){
        croak("not an aref\n");
    }

    // convert the array reference into a Perl array

    AV* chars = (AV*)SvRV(aref);

    // allocate for a C array, with the same number of
    // elements the Perl array has

    unsigned char buf[av_len(chars)+1];

    // convert the Perl array to a C array

    int i;
    
    for (i=0; i<sizeof(buf); i++){
        SV** elem = av_fetch(chars, i, 0);
        buf[i] = (unsigned char)SvNV(*elem);
    }

    // prepare the stack

    inline_stack_vars;
    inline_stack_reset;
  
    int x;

    for (x=0; x<sizeof(buf); x++){

        // extract elem, do stuff with it, 
        // then push to stack

        char* elem = buf[x];
        elem++;        

        // the sv_2mortal() rectifies refcount issues,
        // and ensures there's no memory leak

        inline_stack_push(sv_2mortal(newSViv(elem)));
    }

    // done!

    inline_stack_done;
}

##</code><code>##

#include "EXTERN.h"
#include "perl.h"
#include "XSUB.h"
#include "INLINE.h"

void aref_to_array(SV* aref){

    if (! SvROK(aref) || SvTYPE(SvRV(aref)) != SVt_PVAV){
        croak("not an aref\n");
    }

    AV* chars = (AV*)SvRV(aref);

    unsigned char buf[av_len(chars)+1];

    int i;
    
    for (i=0; i<sizeof(buf); i++){
        SV** elem = av_fetch(chars, i, 0);
        buf[i] = (unsigned char)SvNV(*elem);
    }

    inline_stack_vars;
    inline_stack_reset;
  
    int x;

    for (x=0; x<sizeof(buf); x++){

        char* elem = buf[x];
        elem++;        

        inline_stack_push(sv_2mortal(newSViv(elem)));
    }

    inline_stack_done;
}

MODULE = c_and_back_pl_f8ff  PACKAGE = main  

PROTOTYPES: DISABLE


void
aref_to_array (aref)
    SV *	aref
        PREINIT:
        I32* temp;
        PPCODE:
        temp = PL_markstack_ptr++;
        aref_to_array(aref);
        if (PL_markstack_ptr != temp) {
          /* truly void, because dXSARGS not invoked */
          PL_markstack_ptr = temp;
          XSRETURN_EMPTY; /* return empty stack */
        }
        /* must have used dXSARGS; list context implied */
        return; /* assume stack size is correct */

##</code><code>##

    MODULE = c_and_back_pl_f8ff  PACKAGE = main  

##</code><code>##

    MODULE = My::Module  PACKAGE = My::Module

##</code><code>##

    require XSLoader;
    XSLoader::load('My::Module', $VERSION);