What are some best practices for handling encoded data in PHP?

When handling encoded data in PHP, it is important to properly decode the data before processing it to avoid any unexpected behavior or errors. One common practice is to use PHP's built-in functions like base64_decode() for decoding base64-encoded data or json_decode() for decoding JSON data. Additionally, it is crucial to validate the decoded data and handle any potential errors that may arise during the decoding process.

// Example of decoding base64-encoded data
$encodedData = "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh";
$decodedData = base64_decode($encodedData);

if ($decodedData === false) {
    // Handle decoding error
    echo "Error decoding data";
} else {
    // Process the decoded data
    echo $decodedData;
}