How can PHP developers ensure data consistency and avoid errors when merging multidimensional arrays with different structures?

When merging multidimensional arrays with different structures, PHP developers can ensure data consistency and avoid errors by checking the structure of each array before merging them. This can be achieved by using functions like array_keys() to compare the keys of the arrays and array_values() to compare the values. By ensuring that the arrays have compatible structures, developers can prevent data loss or unexpected behavior when merging them.

function mergeArrays($array1, $array2) {
    if(array_keys($array1) === array_keys($array2)) {
        return array_merge($array1, $array2);
    } else {
        // Handle error or return false
        return false;
    }
}

$array1 = ['key1' => 'value1', 'key2' => 'value2'];
$array2 = ['key1' => 'new value', 'key3' => 'value3'];

$result = mergeArrays($array1, $array2);

if($result) {
    print_r($result);
} else {
    echo "Arrays have different structures and cannot be merged.";
}