Can anyone tell me why this XS routine returns my RETVAL with one extra depth of array refs?

#include <sys/types.h>
#include <dirent.h>
#include <stdio.h>

SV *
readdir_inode(dirname)
     char*    dirname
INIT:
  struct dirent *ent;
  DIR* dir;
  SV* record[2];
  AV *entry, *ret_val;
CODE:
  ret_val = newAV();
  dir = opendir(dirname);
  if (!dir)
    perror("Cannot open dir");

  while ((ent=readdir(dir))) {
    record[0] = newSVpv(ent->d_name, 0);
    record[1] = newSViv((IV)ent->d_ino);
    entry = av_make(2, record);
    av_push(ret_val, newRV_inc((SV*) entry));
  }
  closedir(dir);
  RETVAL=newRV_inc((SV*) ret_val);
OUTPUT:
    RETVAL

[download]

That is, I'm getting a structure like this:

$VAR1 = [
          [
            [
              '.',
              67586
            ],
            [
              '..',
              255604
            ],
...

[download]

Instead of something like this:

$VAR1 = [
          [
            '.',
            67586
          ],
          [
            '..',
            255604
          ],
...

[download]

Any ideas why, anyone?

Also, does anyone know of a better way of saying "or die "Can't opendir $file; $!"" (or should I bother? perhaps just return undef and let the caller check $!)

In reply to XS routine returns an extra depth of array refs by mugwumpjism

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