How can the use of json_encode in PHP be considered a best practice when returning JSON data?

When returning JSON data in PHP, using the json_encode function is considered a best practice because it efficiently converts PHP data structures into a JSON string. This function handles encoding complex data types like arrays and objects, ensuring that the output is valid JSON format. Additionally, json_encode automatically escapes special characters, preventing any potential security vulnerabilities in the JSON output. 

// Sample PHP code snippet using json_encode to return JSON data
$data = array(
    'name' => 'John Doe',
    'age' => 30,
    'email' => 'john.doe@example.com'
);

header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode($data);

Keywords

json_encode PHP best practice returning data JSON

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