how to print variable from one php file to another php file

<?php
@session_start();
// drop down list
<select name="select">
<option value="empty">none</option>
<option value="fiction">fiction</option>
<option value="journals">journals</option>
<option value="acadamic">acadamic</option>
</select>


            <form action="" method="POST">
  // search box
           <input type="text" value="Enter a keyword here..." name="q" size="10" id="searchfield" title="searchfield" onFocus="clearText(this)" onBlur="clearText(this)" />
                    <input type="submit" name="Search" value="" alt="Search" id="searchbutton" title="Search" />
<br/>
if (isset($_GET['q']) && isset ($_GET['q']) != "")
{
if($_GET['select'] == "fiction"){

   
   $sqlcommand= "SELECT title,author FROM ".USRBOOKS." WHERE category = 'fiction'";
   
}else if($_GET['select'] == "journals"){

	$sqlcommand= "SELECT title,author FROM ".USRBOOKS." WHERE category = 'journals'";

}

else if($_GET['select'] == "acadamic"){

$sqlcommand= "SELECT title,author FROM ".USRBOOKS." WHERE category = 'acadamic'";
}
 


$query = mysql_query($sqlcommand) or die($sqlcommand);
$count = mysql_num_rows($query);

if ($count>0)
{
global $searchoutput; // using global variable to print value in other php file
$searchoutput = " $count results ";
// after successufl search I am trying to print the result in new php file using  below command
echo '<META http-equiv="refresh" content="0;URL='.INDEX_URL.'result.php">';
}
}

else {

 $searchoutput="0 result";

}

?>

        <?php 

echo $searchoutput; // problem is control is again shifting to header.php file and printing always "0 result" from else block

?>