you have to use GET method in your form, not POST.
mysql_num_rows doesn't make sense here.
If you're using limit, you already know the number*
.
If you want to know number, you shouldn't use limit nor request rows but select number itself.
// get your $title safe
$fields = array("name","lastname");
$key = array_search($_GET['title'],$fields));
$title = $fields[$key];
//escape your $search
$search = mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['search']);
$sql = "SELECT count(*) FROM members WHERE $title LIKE '%$search%'";
$res = mysql_query($query) or trigger_error(mysql_error()." in ".$sql);
$row = mysql_fetch_row($res);
$members_found = $row[0]
in case you need just 5 records to show on the page, no need for mysql_num_rows() again:
// Get LIMIT params
$member_number = 5;
$start = 0;
if (isset($_GET['page'])){
$start = abs($_GET['page']-1)*$member_number;
}
// get your $title safe
$fields = array("name","lastname");
$key = array_search($_GET['title'],$fields));
$title = $fields[$key];
//escape your $search
$search = mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['search']);
$sql = "SELECT count(*) FROM members
WHERE `$title` LIKE '%$search%'
LIMIT $start, $member_number";
$res = mysql_query($query) or trigger_error(mysql_error()." in ".$sql);
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($res){
$data[] = $row;
}
Now you have selected rows in $data for the further use.