What is the best practice for passing variables from one PHP file to another?

When passing variables from one PHP file to another, the best practice is to use sessions or cookies. By storing the variable in a session or cookie, it can be accessed across multiple pages without the need to pass it through the URL or form submissions. This method ensures better security and prevents the variable from being tampered with.

// File 1: Setting the variable in a session
session_start();
$_SESSION['variable_name'] = $variable_value;

// File 2: Accessing the variable from the session
session_start();
$variable_value = $_SESSION['variable_name'];