<?php $x = 3; $y = 4; $calc_str = '$x * $y'; eval("echo \"$calc_str\";"); ?> I want to evaluate the expression $x * $y (x times y). But when I run it thru the eval() function it returns "3 * 4" instead of "12". It seems to interpret * as a string instead of a multiplication operator. Any suggestions greatly appreciated Leo Kokin