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@new_list =
    map  { $_->[0] }
    sort { $a->[1] <=> $b->[1] }
    map  { [ $_, expensive_function( $_ ) ] }
    @old_list;

a_bunch_of_random_letters|19670620|and_some_more_random_letters

sub get_date_perl
{
    my $date = substr( $_[0], index( $_[0], '|' ) + 1, 8 );
    return join '', unpack( "A4A2A2",$date );
}

SV* get_date( char* str )
{
    /* some stuff goes here */
    return newSVpv(date,8);
}

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
...
    return newSVpv( date, 8 );
}
END_OF_C_CODE

my $date = get_date( $string );

sub get_date_perl
{
...
    my ( $month, $day, $year ) = unpack( "A2A2A4",$date );
    return $year.$month.$day;
}

SV* get_date (char* str)
{
...
    new_date[7] = date[3];
    return newSVpv(new_date,8);
}

Benchmark: timing 50 iterations of Inline, Perl...
    Inline: 41 wallclock secs (40.72 usr +  0.00 sys = 40.72 CPU) @  1
+.23/s (n=50)
      Perl: 53 wallclock secs (53.21 usr +  0.00 sys = 53.21 CPU) @  0
+.94/s (n=50)

@new_list =
    map_sort { $a->[1] <=> $b->[1] }
    map      { [ $_, expensive_function( $_ ) ] }
    @old_list;

Benchmark: timing 50 iterations of Inline, Ovidian, Perl...
    Inline: 41 wallclock secs (40.72 usr +  0.00 sys = 40.72 CPU) @  1
+.23/s (n=50)
   Ovidian: 34 wallclock secs (34.71 usr +  0.00 sys = 34.71 CPU) @  1
+.44/s (n=50)
      Perl: 53 wallclock secs (53.21 usr +  0.00 sys = 53.21 CPU) @  0
+.94/s (n=50)

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
...
    new_date[7] = date[3];
    return newSVpv(new_date,8);
}