What is a PHP session

A PHP session is a way to store information (in variables) to be used across multiple pages. Unlike cookies, session data is stored on the server instead of the user's computer, allowing for more secure data handling. Sessions are commonly used for user authentication and maintaining user state in web applications.

To start a session in PHP, you use the `session_start()` function. Once a session is started, you can store and access session variables throughout the user's visit.

Here is a simple example of how to use PHP sessions:

<?php // Start the session session_start(); // Set session variables $_SESSION["username"] = "JohnDoe"; $_SESSION["email"] = "john@example.com"; echo "Session variables are set."; ?>

PHP session session management user authentication server-side storage secure data handling