In what scenarios would using cookies and database storage for user data be more beneficial than using PHP sessions?

Using cookies and database storage for user data can be more beneficial than using PHP sessions in scenarios where you need to persist user data across multiple sessions or devices, or if you need to store large amounts of data that may exceed the session storage limit. Cookies can be used to store small pieces of data on the client side, while database storage allows for more secure and scalable storage of user information.

// Set a cookie with user data
setcookie("user_id", $user_id, time() + 3600, "/");

// Store user data in a database
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
$stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO users (user_id, username, email) VALUES (?, ?, ?)");
$stmt->bind_param("iss", $user_id, $username, $email);
$stmt->execute();
$conn->close();