What is the purpose of using sessions in PHP and how do they work?

Sessions in PHP are used to store user data across multiple pages or visits to a website. They work by creating a unique session ID for each user, which is then used to store and retrieve data in the $_SESSION superglobal array. This allows for personalized user experiences and the ability to keep track of user information throughout their session on the website.

<?php
// Start the session
session_start();

// Store data in the session
$_SESSION['username'] = 'john_doe';

// Retrieve data from the session
echo 'Welcome back, ' . $_SESSION['username'];
?>