What role does the header function play in controlling browser caching and ensuring PHP code execution consistency?

The header function in PHP plays a crucial role in controlling browser caching by sending HTTP headers to instruct the browser on how to cache resources. By setting appropriate cache-control headers, we can ensure that the browser caches resources for a specific duration, reducing the number of requests made to the server. Additionally, the header function can be used to ensure PHP code execution consistency by setting headers to prevent browser caching of dynamic content that should not be cached.

// Prevent browser caching of PHP script
header("Cache-Control: no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");