Can you mix server side databinding markup with other server side markup?

I'm using a third party product that heavily relies on server side markup.

Whenever I use databinding expressions such as <%# Eval("Description") %>, the page ouptuts the bound data. But I have an integeger that I want to reuse multiple times in the repeater.  How can I use that integer in the <%# markup?
 
When I do something like:
<% int maxLenghth = 100 %>
<%# Eval("Description").Substring(maxLength) %>
 
 
maxLength doesn't exist in the scope. 
 
When I do the opposite:
<% string temp = Eval("Description"); %>
<%= temp = Eval("Description"); %>
 
temp does not have a value.  How can I accomplish this?
 
Thanks!!!
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