How does the ob_start() function in PHP help in preventing header modification errors when using setcookie()?

When using the setcookie() function in PHP, it is important to ensure that no output has been sent to the browser before setting the cookie. Otherwise, you may encounter "Cannot modify header information" errors. To prevent this, you can use the ob_start() function to buffer the output, which allows you to set cookies even after some output has been sent.

<?php
ob_start();

// Code that may generate output

setcookie("cookie_name", "cookie_value", time() + 3600);

ob_end_flush();
?>