How can PHP sessions be effectively utilized in a multi-page shopping system to maintain user data?

To maintain user data in a multi-page shopping system, PHP sessions can be effectively utilized to store and retrieve user information such as shopping cart items, user details, and session IDs. This allows for seamless navigation between pages without losing important data.

<?php
// Start the session
session_start();

// Store user data in session variables
$_SESSION['cart_items'] = array('item1', 'item2', 'item3');
$_SESSION['user_details'] = array('name' => 'John Doe', 'email' => 'johndoe@example.com');
$_SESSION['session_id'] = session_id();

// Retrieve user data from session variables
$cart_items = $_SESSION['cart_items'];
$user_details = $_SESSION['user_details'];
$session_id = $_SESSION['session_id'];

// Display user data
echo "Cart Items: ";
print_r($cart_items);
echo "<br>User Details: ";
print_r($user_details);
echo "<br>Session ID: $session_id";
?>