What is the recommended approach for transforming PHP arrays into strings for storage in cookies without compromising security?

When transforming PHP arrays into strings for storage in cookies, it's important to serialize the array to maintain its structure and integrity. This can be achieved by using the `serialize()` function in PHP. Additionally, it's crucial to encode the serialized string to make it safe for storage in cookies by using `base64_encode()`.

// Transform PHP array into a string for storage in cookies
$array = ['key1' => 'value1', 'key2' => 'value2'];

// Serialize the array
$serialized_array = serialize($array);

// Encode the serialized string for safe storage in cookies
$encoded_array = base64_encode($serialized_array);

// Set the cookie with the encoded array
setcookie('my_cookie', $encoded_array, time() + 3600, '/');