Why is it important to clear the buffer before including files in PHP scripts?

It is important to clear the buffer before including files in PHP scripts to prevent any output from the included file interfering with the main script's output. This can cause unexpected behavior or errors in the application. To solve this issue, you can use the ob_clean() function to clear the output buffer before including any files.

// Clear the output buffer
ob_clean();

// Include the file
include 'file.php';