How can the use of JSON as a transport format in AJAX requests improve the handling of special characters in PHP applications?

When using JSON as a transport format in AJAX requests, special characters are automatically encoded, ensuring that they are properly handled in PHP applications. This can prevent issues with special characters causing errors or vulnerabilities in the application. By using JSON, developers can ensure that data is transmitted securely and accurately between the client-side and server-side components of the application.

// Decode JSON data received from AJAX request
$data = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);

// Access and process data with special characters
$special_data = $data['special_data'];

// Use the special_data variable in PHP application
echo "Special data: " . $special_data;