How to assign eval() to variable?

hi, I have on one website boxes with information, pulled from mysql. the content can be string, php code, url of other website or url to specific file etc. currently, I have something like this: // connect to db // mysql_query() to get box content and content_type switch($content_type) { case 'string':

     echo $content;
     break;

case 'php_code':

     eval($content);
     break;

case 'website':

     echo '<iframe>'.$content.'</iframe>;
     break;

case 'file'

     require_once($file);
     echo $file_content;

// etc. } but, now I have to change the code to assign content to variable and the variable will be printed later. I tried something like this: switch($content_type) { case 'string':

     $record = $content;
     break;

case 'php_code':

     $record = eval($content);
     break;

case 'website':

     $record = '<iframe>'.$content.'</iframe>;
     break;

case 'file'

     require_once($file);
     $record = $file_content;

// etc. } and it works - except eval() part. cant do $record = eval($content); ?!?!?!? thanks afan