What are best practices for handling JSON data in PHP functions or methods?

When handling JSON data in PHP functions or methods, it is important to properly decode the JSON string into a PHP array or object using the `json_decode()` function. This allows you to work with the data in a more structured format within your PHP code. Additionally, make sure to validate the JSON data before decoding it to avoid potential errors or security vulnerabilities.

// Example of decoding JSON data in PHP function
function handleJsonData($jsonData) {
    // Validate JSON data
    if (json_decode($jsonData) === null) {
        throw new Exception('Invalid JSON data');
    }
    
    // Decode JSON data into PHP array
    $data = json_decode($jsonData, true);
    
    // Access and manipulate the data as needed
    foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
        echo $key . ': ' . $value . '<br>';
    }
}

// Example usage
$jsonData = '{"name": "John Doe", "age": 30}';
handleJsonData($jsonData);