char *foo = SvPV( RETVAL, 0 );
fcn( foo );
printf( "string: %s  length: %d", foo, strlen(foo) );

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use Inline C;

svfunc();

__END__
__C__

void svfunc( )
{
   SV *val;
   STRLEN x;
   char *ptr;

   ptr = malloc( 5 );

   memset( ptr, 0, 5);
   memset( ptr, 65, 4 );

   val = newSVpv( ptr, 20 );

   ptr = SvPV( val, x );
   printf( "String is %s with len of %d (%d)\n", 
      ptr, x, strlen(ptr) );
}