<? 
  $hostname = "localhost"; // Our DB server.
  $username = "xxx"; // The username you created for this database.
  $password = "xxx"; // The password you created for the username.
  $usertable = "cust"; // The name of the table you made.
  $dbName = "xxx"; // This is the name of the database you made.
  
//lower case. this might work, but it's super ugly
  MYSQL_CONNECT($hostname, $username, $password) OR DIE("DB connection unavailable");

//Don't need the quotes around $dbName, though it doesn't actually matter
  @mysql_select_db( "$dbName") or die( "Unable to select database");
  ?>
  
  <?
  
//Why put the error message in a string instead of just printing it properly?
  //error message (not found message)begains
  $XX = "No Record Found, to search again please close this window";
  //query  table begins

//A few errors here. You use $search, but that's not a variable, the search variable from your form is $_POST['search']
//also, add "or die(mysql_error());" That way it will tell you if the query fails.
//also, what is "the table"? There should be an actual column id in there. I'm guessing $_POST['name']
  $query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM cust WHERE the table LIKE '%$search%' LIMIT 0, 30") or die(mysql_error());


//You forgot to put curly brackets around the while loop, so even if you did get results, it wouldn't work
//Also, since you use $row['id'] and such, you need to use mysql_fetch_assoc
  while ($row = @mysql_fetch_assoc($query)){

 $variable1=$row["id"];
 $variable2=$row["name"];
 $variable3=$row["telephone"];
 
//table layout for results


//no real reason to bother assigning the $variable variables. you can just use $row['id'] and such right in the print statements.
print ("<tr>");
print ("<td>$variable1</td>");
print ("<td>$variable2</td>");
print ("<td>$variable3</td>");
print ("</tr>");
}
  
  //below this is the function for no record!!
  
  //end
  
  ?>