What are some best practices for handling session variables in PHP?

When handling session variables in PHP, it is important to ensure proper security measures are in place to prevent session hijacking or data manipulation. Some best practices include using HTTPS to encrypt session data, regenerating session IDs after a user logs in or out, and validating session data before use.

// Start session
session_start();

// Regenerate session ID
session_regenerate_id(true);

// Validate session data before use
if(isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    // Proceed with using the session data
} else {
    // Redirect or handle unauthorized access
}