What best practices should be followed when passing variables between PHP files?

When passing variables between PHP files, it is best practice to use sessions or cookies to maintain data across multiple pages. This ensures that the variables are securely stored and easily accessible throughout the user's session on the website. By using sessions or cookies, you can avoid exposing sensitive information in the URL or using global variables, which can lead to security risks.

// Setting a session variable in the first PHP file
session_start();
$_SESSION['username'] = 'JohnDoe';

// Accessing the session variable in the second PHP file
session_start();
$username = $_SESSION['username'];
echo $username;