How does the order of session_start() affect the availability of variables in PHP files?

The order of session_start() affects the availability of session variables in PHP files. To ensure that session variables are accessible throughout your script, session_start() should be called before any output is sent to the browser. This means session_start() should be placed at the beginning of your PHP files, ideally at the very top before any HTML or PHP code.

<?php
session_start();

// Rest of your PHP code here
?>