void stream_fill_string(std::ifstream *stream, std::string &output)
{
std::ios::pos_type size = stream_size(stream);
output.resize(size);
stream->read(&output[0], size);
}


Will read a lot faster.

Look here:

http://groups.google.com/group/perfo/browse_thread/thread/1ecf38b7d7ea7d38

And the implementation of stream_size?