What is the purpose of using session_start() in PHP and why is it important in this context?

Session_start() is used in PHP to start a new session or resume an existing session. It is important to use session_start() at the beginning of your PHP script if you want to work with session variables, as it initializes a session and allows you to store and retrieve session data across multiple pages. This function must be called before any output is sent to the browser.

<?php
session_start();

// Your PHP code here
?>