diff --git a/CHANGES.current b/CHANGES.current
index afb5d564c..18f5df2e5 100644
--- a/CHANGES.current
+++ b/CHANGES.current
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ Version 1.3.32 (in progress)
 ============================
 
 09/17/2007: olly
-	    [PHP] Use std::string::assign(PTR, LEN) rather than assigning
+	    When wrapping C++ code, generate code which uses
+	    std::string::assign(PTR, LEN) rather than assigning
 	    std::string(PTR, LEN).  Using assign generates more efficient code
 	    (tested with GCC 4.1.2).
 
diff --git a/Lib/allegrocl/std_string.i b/Lib/allegrocl/std_string.i
index cc92bebe3..c70532f7a 100755
--- a/Lib/allegrocl/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/allegrocl/std_string.i
@@ -97,13 +97,13 @@ namespace std {
 
     // automatically convert constant std::strings to cl:strings
     %typemap(ctype) string "char *";
-    %typemap(in) string "$1 = string($input);";
+    %typemap(in) string "$1.assign($input);";
     %typemap(out) string "$result = (char *)(&$1)->c_str();";
     %typemap(lisptype) string "cl:string";
     %typemap(lout) string "(cl::setq ACL_ffresult $body)";
 
     %typemap(ctype) wstring "wchar_t *";
-    %typemap(in) wstring "$1 = string($input);";
+    %typemap(in) wstring "$1.assign($input);";
     %typemap(out) wstring "$result = (wchar_t *)(&$1)->c_str();";
     %typemap(lisptype) wstring "cl:string";
     %typemap(lout) wstring "(cl::setq ACL_ffresult (excl:native-to-string $body
@@ -112,16 +112,16 @@ namespace std {
     /* Overloading check */
 //     %typemap(in) string {
 //         if (caml_ptr_check($input))
-//             $1 = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-// 			     caml_string_len($input));
+//             $1.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+// 			 caml_string_len($input));
 //         else
 //             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
 //     }
 
 //     %typemap(in) const string & (std::string temp) {
 //         if (caml_ptr_check($input)) {
-//             temp = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-// 			       caml_string_len($input));
+//             temp.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+// 			   caml_string_len($input));
 //             $1 = &temp;
 //         } else {
 //             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ namespace std {
 
 //     %typemap(in) string & (std::string temp) {
 //         if (caml_ptr_check($input)) {
-//             temp = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-// 			       caml_string_len($input));
+//             temp.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+// 			   caml_string_len($input));
 //             $1 = &temp;
 //         } else {
 //             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ namespace std {
 //    }
 
 //    %typemap(directorout) string {
-//	$result = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-//			      caml_string_len($input));
+//	$result.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+//		       caml_string_len($input));
 //    }
 
 //    %typemap(out) string {
diff --git a/Lib/chicken/std_string.i b/Lib/chicken/std_string.i
index 36dd82b90..2955d0e2f 100644
--- a/Lib/chicken/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/chicken/std_string.i
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap(in) string (char* tempptr) {
       if ($input == C_SCHEME_FALSE) {
-	$1 = std::string();
+	$1.resize(0);
       } else { 
 	if (!C_swig_is_string ($input)) {
 	  swig_barf (SWIG_BARF1_BAD_ARGUMENT_TYPE, 
 		     "Argument #$argnum is not a string");
-   	}
+	}
 	tempptr = SWIG_MakeString($input);
-	$1 = std::string(tempptr);
+	$1.assign(tempptr);
 	if (tempptr) SWIG_free(tempptr);
       }
     }
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ namespace std {
 			 char* tempptr) {
 
       if ($input == C_SCHEME_FALSE) {
-	temp = std::string();
+	temp.resize(0);
 	$1 = &temp;
       } else { 
 	if (!C_swig_is_string ($input)) {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ namespace std {
 		     "Argument #$argnum is not a string");
 	}
 	tempptr = SWIG_MakeString($input);
-	temp = std::string(tempptr);
+	temp.assign(tempptr);
 	if (tempptr) SWIG_free(tempptr);
 	$1 = &temp;
       }
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap(varin) string {
       if ($input == C_SCHEME_FALSE) {
-	$1 = std::string();
+	$1.resize(0);
       } else { 
         char *tempptr;
 	if (!C_swig_is_string ($input)) {
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace std {
 		     "Argument #$argnum is not a string");
    	}
 	tempptr = SWIG_MakeString($input);
-	$1 = std::string(tempptr);
+	$1.assign(tempptr);
 	if (tempptr) SWIG_free(tempptr);
       }
     }
diff --git a/Lib/csharp/std_string.i b/Lib/csharp/std_string.i
index 2258b2c92..d29692717 100644
--- a/Lib/csharp/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/csharp/std_string.i
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class string;
     SWIG_CSharpSetPendingExceptionArgument(SWIG_CSharpArgumentNullException, "null string", 0);
     return $null;
    }
-   $1 = std::string($input); %}
+   $1.assign($input); %}
 %typemap(out) string %{ $result = SWIG_csharp_string_callback($1.c_str()); %}
 
 %typemap(directorout, canthrow=1) string 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class string;
     SWIG_CSharpSetPendingExceptionArgument(SWIG_CSharpArgumentNullException, "null string", 0);
     return $null;
    }
-   $result = std::string($input); %}
+   $result.assign($input); %}
 
 %typemap(directorin) string %{ $input = SWIG_csharp_string_callback($1.c_str()); %}
 
diff --git a/Lib/csharp/std_wstring.i b/Lib/csharp/std_wstring.i
index f1706f563..7b4387f21 100755
--- a/Lib/csharp/std_wstring.i
+++ b/Lib/csharp/std_wstring.i
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class wstring;
     SWIG_CSharpSetPendingExceptionArgument(SWIG_CSharpArgumentNullException, "null wstring", 0);
     return $null;
    }
-   $1 = std::wstring($input); %}
+   $1.assign($input); %}
 %typemap(out) wstring %{ $result = SWIG_csharp_wstring_callback($1.c_str()); %}
 
 %typemap(directorout, canthrow=1) wstring 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class wstring;
     SWIG_CSharpSetPendingExceptionArgument(SWIG_CSharpArgumentNullException, "null wstring", 0);
     return $null;
    }
-   $result = std::wstring($input); %}
+   $result.assign($input); %}
 
 %typemap(directorin) wstring %{ $input = SWIG_csharp_wstring_callback($1.c_str()); %}
 
diff --git a/Lib/guile/std_string.i b/Lib/guile/std_string.i
index 0e341ed0c..f80a65ca5 100644
--- a/Lib/guile/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/guile/std_string.i
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ namespace std {
     %typemap(in) string (char* tempptr) {
         if (gh_string_p($input)) {
             tempptr = SWIG_scm2str($input);
-            $1 = std::string(tempptr);
+            $1.assign(tempptr);
             if (tempptr) SWIG_free(tempptr);
         } else {
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ namespace std {
                                  char* tempptr) {
         if (gh_string_p($input)) {
             tempptr = SWIG_scm2str($input);
-            temp = std::string(tempptr);
+            temp.assign(tempptr);
             if (tempptr) SWIG_free(tempptr);
             $1 = &temp;
         } else {
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace std {
     %typemap(varin) string {
         if (gh_string_p($input)) {
 	    char *tempptr = SWIG_scm2str($input);
-            $1 = std::string(tempptr);
+            $1.assign(tempptr);
             if (tempptr) SWIG_free(tempptr);
         } else {
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
diff --git a/Lib/java/std_string.i b/Lib/java/std_string.i
index 38e936b04..789e17a65 100644
--- a/Lib/java/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/java/std_string.i
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class string;
     } 
     const char *$1_pstr = (const char *)jenv->GetStringUTFChars($input, 0); 
     if (!$1_pstr) return $null;
-    $1 =  std::string($1_pstr);
+    $1.assign($1_pstr);
     jenv->ReleaseStringUTFChars($input, $1_pstr); %}
 
 %typemap(directorout) string 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class string;
    } 
    const char *$1_pstr = (const char *)jenv->GetStringUTFChars($input, 0); 
    if (!$1_pstr) return $null;
-   $result =  std::string($1_pstr);
+   $result.assign($1_pstr);
    jenv->ReleaseStringUTFChars($input, $1_pstr); %}
 
 %typemap(directorin,descriptor="Ljava/lang/String;") string 
diff --git a/Lib/java/std_wstring.i b/Lib/java/std_wstring.i
index d38a62c29..39a6988d1 100644
--- a/Lib/java/std_wstring.i
+++ b/Lib/java/std_wstring.i
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class wstring;
     for (jsize i = 0; i < $1_len; ++i) {
       conv_buf[i] = $1_pstr[i];
     }
-    $1 = std::wstring(conv_buf, $1_len);
+    $1.assign(conv_buf, $1_len);
     delete [] conv_buf;
   }
   jenv->ReleaseStringChars($input, $1_pstr);
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class wstring;
     for (jsize i = 0; i < $1_len; ++i) {
       conv_buf[i] = $1_pstr[i];
     }
-    $result = std::wstring(conv_buf, $1_len);
+    $result.assign(conv_buf, $1_len);
     delete [] conv_buf;
   }
   jenv->ReleaseStringChars($input, $1_pstr);
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class wstring;
     for (jsize i = 0; i < $1_len; ++i) {
       conv_buf[i] = $1_pstr[i];
     }
-    $1_str = std::wstring(conv_buf, $1_len);
+    $1_str.assign(conv_buf, $1_len);
     delete [] conv_buf;
   }
   $1 = &$1_str;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class wstring;
     for (jsize i = 0; i < $1_len; ++i) {
       conv_buf[i] = $1_pstr[i];
     }
-    $1_str = std::wstring(conv_buf, $1_len);
+    $1_str.assign(conv_buf, $1_len);
     delete [] conv_buf;
   }
   $result = &$1_str;
diff --git a/Lib/mzscheme/std_string.i b/Lib/mzscheme/std_string.i
index aa27bc0d8..c9a82efe4 100644
--- a/Lib/mzscheme/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/mzscheme/std_string.i
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap(in) string {
         if (SCHEME_STRINGP($input))
-            $1 = std::string(SCHEME_STR_VAL($input));
+            $1.assign(SCHEME_STR_VAL($input));
         else
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
     }
 
     %typemap(in) const string & (std::string temp) {
         if (SCHEME_STRINGP($input)) {
-            temp = std::string(SCHEME_STR_VAL($input));
+            temp.assign(SCHEME_STR_VAL($input));
             $1 = &temp;
         } else {
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
diff --git a/Lib/ocaml/std_string.i b/Lib/ocaml/std_string.i
index 7908e8877..7add3a070 100644
--- a/Lib/ocaml/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/ocaml/std_string.i
@@ -85,16 +85,16 @@ namespace std {
     /* Overloading check */
     %typemap(in) string {
         if (caml_ptr_check($input))
-            $1 = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-			     caml_string_len($input));
+            $1.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+                      caml_string_len($input));
         else
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
     }
 
     %typemap(in) const string & (std::string temp) {
         if (caml_ptr_check($input)) {
-            temp = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-			       caml_string_len($input));
+            temp.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+                        caml_string_len($input));
             $1 = &temp;
         } else {
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ namespace std {
 
     %typemap(in) string & (std::string temp) {
         if (caml_ptr_check($input)) {
-            temp = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-			       caml_string_len($input));
+            temp.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+                        caml_string_len($input));
             $1 = &temp;
         } else {
             SWIG_exception(SWIG_TypeError, "string expected");
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ namespace std {
     }
 
     %typemap(directorout) string {
-	$result = std::string((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
-			      caml_string_len($input));
+	$result.assign((char *)caml_ptr_val($input,0),
+		       caml_string_len($input));
     }
 
     %typemap(out) string {
diff --git a/Lib/pike/std_string.i b/Lib/pike/std_string.i
index e7f9ee03c..ca1fad822 100644
--- a/Lib/pike/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/pike/std_string.i
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ namespace std {
     %typemap(in, pikedesc="tStr") string {
       if ($input.type != T_STRING)
         Pike_error("Bad argument: Expected a string.\n");
-      $1 = std::string(STR0($input.u.string));
+      $1.assign(STR0($input.u.string));
     }
 
     %typemap(in, pikedesc="tStr") const string & (std::string temp) {
       if ($input.type != T_STRING)
         Pike_error("Bad argument: Expected a string.\n");
-      temp = std::string(STR0($input.u.string));
+      temp.assign(STR0($input.u.string));
       $1 = &temp;
     }
 
@@ -45,14 +45,14 @@ namespace std {
     
     %typemap(directorout) string {
       if ($input.type == T_STRING)
-        $result = std::string(STR0($input.u.string));
+        $result.assign(STR0($input.u.string));
       else
         throw Swig::DirectorTypeMismatchException("string expected");
     }
     
     %typemap(directorout) const string & (std::string temp) {
       if ($input.type == T_STRING) {
-        temp = std::string(STR0($input.u.string));
+        temp.assign(STR0($input.u.string));
         $result = &temp;
       } else {
         throw Swig::DirectorTypeMismatchException("string expected");