Are there alternative methods to passing variables through URLs in PHP without displaying them in the browser?

When passing variables through URLs in PHP, it is common for them to be displayed in the browser, which can pose security risks. One alternative method to pass variables without displaying them is to use sessions or cookies to store and retrieve the data instead.

<?php
// Start a session
session_start();

// Set a variable in the session
$_SESSION['variable_name'] = 'value';

// Retrieve the variable from the session
$variable = $_SESSION['variable_name'];

// Use the variable in your code
echo $variable;
?>