How can the use of include() in PHP files impact the functionality of session_start()?

When using include() in PHP files, it can potentially cause issues with session_start() if the included file contains output before the session_start() function is called. This can lead to errors like "headers already sent" because session_start() must be called before any output is sent to the browser. To solve this issue, make sure to call session_start() at the beginning of the main PHP file before any includes.

<?php
session_start();

// Other PHP code here

include('included_file.php');

// More PHP code here
?>