how to load Perl5's Data::Printer in Perl6?

Question

I've been trying to load in the Perl5 module Data::Printer into Perl6, but am having a hard time.

I asked this earlier, Cannot import Perl5 module using Inline::Perl5 into Perl6 and did get useful advice from @raiph and Elizabeth, but was advised to do another question

con@con-VirtualBox:~$ perldoc -lm Data::Printer
/usr/local/share/perl/5.26.0/Data/Printer.pm
con@con-VirtualBox:~$ perl6
To exit type 'exit' or '^D'
> use Inline::Perl5;
Nil
> use lib:from<Perl5> '/usr/local/share/perl/5.26.0/Data/';
Nil
> my @a = 1,2,3,4
[1 2 3 4]
> p @a
===SORRY!=== Error while compiling:
Undeclared routine:
    p used at line 1

The p routine should be loaded, and yet it isn't.

alternatively, I try to load, but this produces a bug as well

> use Data::Printer:from<Perl5>
Unsupported type NativeCall::Types::Pointer<94859011731840> in p5_to_p6
  in method p5_to_p6_type at /usr/lib/perl6/site/sources/130449F27E85303EEC9A19017246A5ED249F99E4 (Inline::Perl5) line 298
  in method unpack_return_values at /usr/lib/perl6/site/sources/130449F27E85303EEC9A19017246A5ED249F99E4 (Inline::Perl5) line 375
  in method invoke at /usr/lib/perl6/site/sources/130449F27E85303EEC9A19017246A5ED249F99E4 (Inline::Perl5) line 446
  in method import at /usr/lib/perl6/site/sources/130449F27E85303EEC9A19017246A5ED249F99E4 (Inline::Perl5) line 776
  in sub EXPORT at /usr/lib/perl6/site/sources/130449F27E85303EEC9A19017246A5ED249F99E4 (Inline::Perl5) line 805
  in any statement_control at /usr/lib/nqp/lib/Perl6/Grammar.moarvm line 1

I have no idea how I can usefully load this library into a Perl6 script.

Answer 1

Unsupported type NativeCall::Types::Pointer<94859011731840> in p5_to_p6

This was a bug in Inline::Perl that was fixed 4 days ago.

You will not get this lastest version if you simply do zef install Inline::Perl5. Here is what I did:

# Install a position independent version of perl, 
#   see  https://github.com/niner/Inline-Perl5/
$ perlbrew install perl-5.29.7 --as perl-5.29.7-PIC -Duseshrplib -Dusemultiplicity
$ perlbrew install-cpanm
$ perlbrew use perl-5.29.7-PIC
$ cpanm Data::Printer
$ git clone https://github.com/niner/Inline-Perl5.git
$ cd Inline-Perl5/
# Run: 'zef uninstall Inline::Perl5' first if you already have it installed
$ perl6 configure.pl6
$ make
$ make install # this installs the latest version of Inline::Perl5
$ cd ..

Then I tested this with this script (p.p6):

use Data::Printer:from<Perl5>;
my @a = 1,2,3,4;
p @a;

Running perl6 p.p6 gives now:

[
    [0] 1,
    [1] 2,
    [2] 3,
    [3] 4
]

Edit: If you already have installed a position independent perl binary, the above installation procedure can be simplified:

$ git clone https://github.com/niner/Inline-Perl5.git
$ cd Inline-Perl5/
$ zef uninstall Inline::Perl5
$ zef install . # or alternatively create the `Makefile` as above