FILL = 999
    MAX = 999

##</code><code>##

    FILL = 999
    MAX = 1021

##</code><code>##

SV *make_aoa_c( int n_rows, int n_cols ) {
  int i, j;
  char *foo = "foo";
  AV *table = newAV();
  av_extend(table, n_rows-1);                /* <---------- */

  for ( i = 0; i < n_rows; ++i ) {
    AV *row = newAV();
    av_extend(row, n_cols-1);                /* <---------- */
    for ( j = 0; j < n_cols; ++j ) {
        av_push( row, newSVpv( foo, 0 ) );
    }
    av_push( table, newRV_noinc( row ) );
  }

  return newRV_noinc( table );
}

##</code><code>##

    FILL = 999
    MAX = 999

##</code><code>##

$ perl test_aoa.pl
1: 78688 (184871 us)
2: 78696 (298376 us)
3: 78696 (196999 us)
4: 78696 (204391 us)
5: 78696 (225786 us)

$ perl test_aoa.pl use_xs
1: 78604 (321481 us)
2: 78616 (360377 us)
3: 78616 (219468 us)
4: 78616 (211587 us)
5: 78616 (209231 us)