How does session_start() function work in PHP and what are common pitfalls associated with it?
The session_start() function in PHP is used to start a new session or resume an existing session. It initializes session data and allows you to store and retrieve session variables. One common pitfall associated with session_start() is that it must be called before any output is sent to the browser. If you try to call session_start() after output has already been sent, you will encounter an error. To avoid this issue, make sure to call session_start() at the beginning of your PHP script, before any HTML or whitespace.
<?php
// Start the session
session_start();
// Rest of your PHP code goes here
?>