[jQuery] Problem with Ajax callback function in jQuery

[dkomo872]

I have Javascript code that looks like this:

    var data1;

    $.post('save_search.php', formData, function(data) {

         data1 = data;

       } );

    jsonData = eval('(' + data1 + ')');

    if (jsonData.return_status.search("successful") > -1)
      $('#msg_div').html("<font color=red>Search was saved</font>");
    else
      $('#msg_div').html("<font color=red>Search was not saved. Try
saving again.</font>");

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++

"data1" comes up as undefined in the statement

  jsonData = eval('(' + data1 + ')');

even though "data" is a perfectly correct JSON string *inside* the
callback function!  I can put the eval statement inside the callback
function and it will form a good JSON object, like this:

   jsonData = eval('(' + data + ')');


I'm simply trying to get my Ajax response data to the outside of my
callback function so I can use it in other Javascript code.

Does anyone know what is wrong?  I've never seen an ordinary function
behave this way.