What role do HTTP headers play in maintaining session consistency in PHP?

HTTP headers play a crucial role in maintaining session consistency in PHP by allowing the server to set and read session cookies. By setting the appropriate HTTP headers, PHP can ensure that the session ID is passed between the client and server with each request, allowing the server to identify and maintain the user's session.

<?php
session_start();

// Set HTTP headers to maintain session consistency
header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must-revalidate");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT");

// Continue with your PHP code here
?>